


Somewhere in the woods

by SilentParalysis



Category: Transformers Animated (2007)
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Blood and Violence, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gore, How Do I Tag, I Tried, M/M, Mech Preg (Transformers), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parenthood, Running Away, Survival, The Author Regrets Everything, The Author Regrets Nothing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-01-31 10:47:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 30,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21444976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilentParalysis/pseuds/SilentParalysis
Summary: Eventually though bee broke the silence again, the storm having fled and leaving behind something that felt new and still. The air crisp and carrying every word with a heightened significance. "Hey um.. Is that offer still on the table?" Bee asked a bit meekly, his smile brighter than the full moon beaming down from overheard. Blitzwing was a bit confused and tilted his helm to the side, before his optic widened in realization.
Relationships: Blitzwing/Bumblebee
Comments: 29
Kudos: 182





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to say that iv'e been working on this first chapter for a few months, and while it took all lot out of me i'm glad to have gotten it out. I'm sorry if this is messy or not quite your favorite flavor of fic but it was the most solid idea in my mind so I saw fit to weigh it down before it left. I hope this first chapter is the hardest one, that way the following chapters can tread smoothly behind it. I hope I don't come off as pretentious or repedative, it's just writing out emotions and settings can be challanging for me.

Circuitry snapped alert as another flash lit up the sky, a blue tint washing over the dark and ominous landscape. Like the soft lightshow of luminescent bugs the night sky flickered and flashed, stunning the eyes before drowning the landscape in black yet again. Blitzwing was surrounded by the deafening roar of water crashing all around them, the metal roof above their helms crackling under the onslaught. The sky let loose the occasional boom, like detonated bombs of pure energy before dissipating with low rumbles. Sharp cracks punctuated the low growls frothing fourth from the sky, before becoming muted by the watery whitenoise yet again.

Blitzwing squeezed the relaxed mini bot in his arms, eyes locked firmly on the wild abyss beyond the open door of their tiny sanctuary. The pair tucked into the corners of an empty warehouse. The spray of water couldn't quite reach their hiding place, but the mist crept its way along their plating; coating everything in soft droplets of dew. How something so diaphanous could be birthed from pure entropy eluded the con.

He absently rubbed a thumb against his chest, a swelling turmoil brewing within that matched the weather outside. This type of weather terrified him to his core, but he had more than the weather to be afraid of. 

His left optic zoomed in on the distance as flickering lights danced from further away, the excited arches of lighting just begging to touch something conductive. His plating shivered and flattened further against his frame, as if thousands of volts of electricity had the intellectual capacity to find him less appealing from the motion. 

He wished he were deep underground away from that wrathful sky, nowhere near the impenetrable darkness that harbored cruel licks of lightning. Normally he would be but tonight he braved it, he had to be brave tonight. 

Another rumble resonated throughout the air and he was surprised to feel the glass of his cockpit shiver in tune. He nearly jumped when a soft warmth ran down his thigh and his eyes flicked down with a click.

Bumbleebee was settled in the larger mechs lap and was absorbed in his delicate ministrations. His posture that of ease as he pulled his focus from the chaos outside, before he trained it on the larger mech. The minibots gazed up at him with a tenderness as a frown worried those perfect blue optics. "You don't look like you're having fun up there" that teasing voice accused.

Blitzwings anxiety had finally peaked and his lips were cracked wide with a nervous laugh, optics fleeing to the corners of the dimly lit warehouse. He smoothed a hand over his honeybee's head but he wasn't having it, his tiny servos grasping his larger one. "What's wrong? I thought you would’ve liked this. Blitzy scared of a little rain. " 

Blitzwing felt the laughter bubble from his intake with trepidation, optics flitting to and fro as a mounting paranoia began to flood his systems. How long would he have before his lord hailed him, how many times would his lord believe his same excuses. How much time would he have to say what he needed to say. He vented sharply to calm himself, yet when he spoke he still had the turbulent tone of his crazed persona. "Nien! I’m not scared little bug, i’m only worried ze rain may harm jou. Vouldn’t vant jou to get vashed avay!” 

Bee snorted at his comment, waving his servo casually at the larger mech. “As if! The rain here is harmless, what you’ve never flown through the rain before?” A blinding smile lite up Bees faceplates as he took both of blitzwings servos in his own. “Hey! We should dance around in the rain, it feels pretty great! Maybe even fly around and I could cling on your back.”

Blitzwing didn’t share his sentiment, his razor thin smile strained as troublesome thoughts possessed his processor. This turbulent weather was merely ambience for the triple changers mood, shadowing his apprehension like some ominous beast. He didn't know how to spit out his words and frustration quickly built. His jagged denta ground each other into a small scowl as he held off a vexed episode, now wasn't the time. 

A quick glance back to his tiny mate and soft blue optics locked with his. They held a deeper kind of worry to them and he burst out in a cackle as he tried to quell them. "Really ze veathers great! Very atmospheric! A great distraction especially sense.. Vell.." 

His voice died and he clammed up again, that flickering frustration making itself present after he cut himself off. His vision swam before being swathed in red, that painful migraine at the back of his head dispersing.

He didn't drag his hummelchen all the way out here to watch this terrifying display in the sky. He vented harshly to try and calm his rapid spark beats, he clenched and unclenched his fists but this wasn’t a problem he could fight. He wanted to scream until his voice was gone, punch and pummel something into nothing, but the latter was already present. There was nothing to fight, no way to fix this and it frustrated him to no end. He could feel steam build up in his system and the flood of battle protocols washing over his frame, caught in the endless cycle of fight or flight he shut down.

He hadn’t realized he was trembling until terribly kind servos pressed against the smooth glass of his cockpit, optics too soft to be real scrying through his plating. Those velvet servos smoothed themselves in circles on the smooth glass of his chassis as though they held a clairvoyance to them, tracing over a secret burning him alive from the inside. It took blitzwing a moment to clear the fog from his mind, to decipher the forbearing words he couldn’t understand. Bee’s tone was soft but concerned, wavering as he held the two of them together. “Hey! What’s wrong? You know you can talk to me right? Just tell me what’s the matter and i’ll try to help, you know you can trust me right?’’

Blitzwing had thought the rain violent before but now it struck the warehouse’s roof with a wicked malice, whitenoise shifting to gunfire. The wind proved to be the most belligerent of elements as it whipped the trees into dancing to and fro, toppling them should they refuse to comply. The treacherous lightning and thunder never left, but now it stalked closer and growled down from overhead, its rumbles reverberating from the walls and shaking the windows surrounding the pair. 

Could the mini bot feel his spark? Hear how violently it crashed around in its chamber as if yearning to flee, like some wild animal caught in a trap? Could he hear how his vents came and went with a ragged harshness, worsened by his shaking? Despite the fact his most aggressive face was present he couldn’t have felt more vulnerable.

Bee would want nothing to do with him, he would be consumed with disgust and flee. That terror over rejection plagued his processor like a violent fever, snuffing his vents like toxic fumes. His existence as a freak meant he was used to rejection and solitude, he had been fine with his isolation; except anyone with a keen eye and a reason to care could see how it destroyed him on the inside.

He wanted to shove the minibot away yet crush him against his plating at the same time, like something too hot to touch yet not caring if he was scorched in all the worst and best ways. Blitzwing craved his love and approval, yet hated how he craved it in the first place, it was so much easier to suffer if one had nothing. He placed his hands around the soft black protoform of the smaller bot in an attempt at either but they stalled, simply holding him.

This close contact must have held long enough for their bond to strengthen its weak threads, or maybe he just made a face, but Bee seemed to catch onto his serious mood quickly. 

The mini bot cradled the triple changer's face in his servos as dismay took hold of the tiny bot. This amount of distress coming from the larger bot was unnatural, although on a blue moon Megatron or Blackarachnia managed to ruffle his feathers, but he could always coax the information forth with some comforting words and physical affection, but Blitzwing was keen on keeping his eyes anywhere but on him, and he failed to get a coherent sentence out of the beige mech. Even his em field was pulled tightly to his frame to conceal his emotions.

"You know you can talk to me right? I won't tease you. Or judge." Bee murmured as his fingers traced the sides of the crimson face present. 

"Jou von't leave?" Blitzwing could feel the air thicken around him after his arbitrary question, the tension clinging to his plating like a heavy fog. His gaze idled around before being drawn to the blue burn of soft optics like a lost moth. 

"I promise.'' Those words whispered with such reverent resolve. They ignited a hope within him so soft and raw he was afraid he'd die if he so much as touched it.

He believed him for just a moment, and yet that's all it took, his spark calming just enough for his face to follow suit.

Whirr.

"I'm carrying." Time froze as he murmured it, his voice held something fragile and timid and it compelled him to repeat himself. "I'm carrying a second spark..." He cringed as his voice crumbled under the weight of those words. His gaze unseeing as he continued to divulge intimate information, his spark fluttering like a trapped bird. He tried to stem the flow but failed, a month's worth of anxieties and problems divulged in a rush of words.

"No one knows but me.. Now you know too. " Blitzwing locked his gaze firmly onto the wall in front of him, the storm outside highlighting their shadows in its occasional light show. He could feel the smaller mech shift around in his lap, the feathered feeling nestled against his spark dying with a chasmic rumble of thunder.

Bumblebee was going to leave. His tanks churned sickly at the notion of isolation. The sky exploded with noise and light like the world was spectacularly ending, blitzwing supposed it was. 

He stared ahead and tried to will his mouth closed, yet watery words seeped forth and spilled into their surroundings. "I vas feeling.. sick and noticed my chest plates vere.. growing additional veight. Extra little slabs of metal. I keep craving metal. Sometimes it's steel but it's been a lot of copper lately. Its been hard to fuel and eat enough when jou know who is alvays watching. He claims I'm getting fat and lazy, but I know better because I saw it- I..do jou vant to see it?" 

His vox hitched and died, no more words pouring forth. He couldn't believe himself, why would he ask him that. That tiny feathered hope begged to live but blitzwing knew it was doomed the minute the evening started. 

Even though they chose to be in this strange relationship, and went as far as to sparkbond in a fit of uninterrupted passion during a lonesome week, he knew this wouldn't last. Between megatron's grand plans to storm cybertron via spacebridge and bee's own cursed fragility it would have to end in the near future. This war was nearing its end and one snake would finally swallow the other, but by primus did it hurt to be the one to ruin it.

When the weight on his lap moved off of him he offlined his optics, sharp chills assaulting where a warm mech once was. 

He was so fragging stupid dragging the both of them out here during a storm just to tell him, he just didn't know what else to do. It's just he freaked out when he saw that tiny fragile spark nestled behind his own. Blitzwing had noticed the rapid growth of excess metal around his spark chamber after his leader had pointed out his weight. He too thought he was being gluttonous about his rations and naturally poked around, discovering the tiny life demanding more and more from him. The fear shadowing him constantly should his leader discover it, the punishment that would follow. 

What had him taken aback was the protective curl in his chest over the tiny spark, the thought of it getting hurt sickening him. He knew he was in deep. He clutched his face in his hands and held back a keen, the sound managing to warble out. The violence outside couldn't mask the pathetic noises seeping out, but they harmonized with a tragic note.

He broke down in an instant after that, curling forward and clutching his face in an attempt to contain the sounds of sobbing, unintentionally amplifying it. He didn't know what to do, any possible solution he thought of was tattered with flaws.The thought of ridding himself of the tiny life broke something deep inside him, sealing his fate to keeping it. No matter what though, every idea had the same ending. He and that tiny innocent life snuffed out, be it through Megatron himself, being executed in autobot prison, or wasting away in the middle of nowhere in some shabby attempt to run and hide. Another horrible visage that followed every imaginary scenario was the crushing solitude.

He would die alone.

But on the contrary tiny and insistent yellow servos slipped an abnormally large blanket over his shoulder as best as they could, the small face attached to them scrunched up in determination. Blitzwing stared dumbly at the minibot fighting to hurl the tangled ends over him, satisfied when the triple changer sat cloaked in the soft gray wool. Bee's lips were moving soundlessly and he reset his audials a few times to catch the rest of what he was saying. Curious as to how long he had been trying to get his attention.

"Come on please don't cry, listen it isn't the end of the world. It's alright we can figure this out!" The tiny mech was scrambling for words, his yellow servos darting out to grasp large black ones between his own. "Look it's okay, I get this is scary but I'm here with you." He cast his optics down and tried to figure out a solution, he settled for kissing blitzwing's digits and trying to draw the big mech out of his panic. The gears turned about in his head before clicking together as the words 'you won't leave?' echoed in his head. 

Blitzwing cast fleeting glances at the tiny mech who had never left, startled he had thought him absent. He managed to stem the flow of coolant pouring from his optic, but they still threatened to spill over like a flooded dam. Bee looked up to his giant frightened mate and a shy smile graced his lips. "I promised I wasn't leaving, I meant it. Don't get me wrong, this is kinda terrifying but, isn't this exciting?" 

Bee wanted to bite his tongue, slag he was bad with words. He didn't know how to word how much he cared for the big bot, and while the thought of a sparkling scared the frag out of him, he felt a surge of something in his chassis that was doing backflips over the idea. 

"E-exciting? Jou mean you zink zis is a good zing?" Blitzwing asked cautiously, his gaze finally landing firmly on Bee. His chassis swelling with a turbulent energy like he was lost at sea. He stared at him for quite some time, his glossa dry and his vox shivering as he processed the new concept. 

"Well yeah! I mean isn't it kinda incredible you have some mini version of us just… growing?!" Bee wanted to scream about his lack of grace with his words, it didn't matter, he just had to get his meaning across. "I don't know the first thing about sparklings, but I doubt you do too. Were in the same boat- er sorry that's human slang. What I mean is were in this together right?"

Blitzwing looked at the brazen little bot standing in front of him, vents slowing to something normal as he slowly nodded in agreement. His optic shone bright but he rubbed away the remaining coolant, even though he knew better his spark told him everything was alright. The traitorous thing feeding off the love it was presented with ravenous haste. 

A soft smile quirked the side of his lips as he mumbled sheepishly "I suppose it is incredible, I vas so scared jou vould be… disgusted and leave, I hadn't even zought of it." 

Bee visibly scoffed at him and pretended to look offended, a huge smile still managed to worm its way through. "As if! I care about you blitzy." The last part said with sincerity before a teasing tone returned. "Besides it takes two to tango. I may not be the most responsible bot but I have my moments." 

The words earned Bee a rare and delicate laugh, his heart swelling. He loved that sound, and he wanted to make this right. Bee had meant it when he said he could be responsible, he already took care of sari and she was the equivalent of a tiny fleshy sparkling! 

A deep nervousness still churned about in his tanks upon the thought of caring for a sparkling, he knew it would still be vastly different. Another harrowing thought was his lack of knowledge on the subject, autobots relied on the planet cybertron to create newsparks. The subject of reproduction and interface was regarded as taboo, but had been the least of his worries sense starting a relationship with a high ranking officer of an enemy faction. 

One that was teetering on its last legs, one that probably required interface to create more mechs and femmes. The thought and realization of this dampened bee's mood and yet provided him with insight as to part of why the big guy was probably terrified. Another troubling thought was how he expected bee to leave, but bee wasn't much if not stubborn and committed. Interface was a lesser taboo than literal treason and he had done the latter A-plenty. 

And while he was practically raising sari, rearing young of his own was a bit different. This held something that was raw and indefinable, sweet and chaotic. He gazed at the dark hands clutched between his own as he contemplated the concept of raising something that was both of them. It kicked something fierce in him, a protocol burning to life as a surge of protective instinct flooded his systems. His spark honored this mech would have him as a sire, and would die to prove he was worthy.

He still faced the problem of knowing next to nothing about sparklings, but he was determined to start learning immediately. His helm tilted down and his faceplates scrunched up deep in thought, he could probably pester sari for books. Or maybe bug ratchet about how sparklings worked, the old bot would get suspicious though and he didn't want his team finding out. Bee purposely neglected the thought of where they would hide the tiny sparkling, they could figure it out as they went.

Bee paused his train of though at the panic returning to blitzy's voice, the larger bot asking innocently."jour not as excited now zat jou had time to zink?" 

Bee shook his head to rid himself of his brainstorming, squeezing his mates larger hand between his own. That intense and overpowering emotion locked inside his chassis as Bee stared into the glass of his larger mate, mulling over how to prove he wanted to stay with Blitzwing.

Except what did stay even mean? He wouldn't dream of leaving the big bot, but they weren't exactly on 'living with each other' terms. Split factions was becoming a recurring problem for the both of them, but a previous discussion on one joining the other had derailed into arguments. Bee figured they had to sort out where they could be together and where they would keep the sparkling. It pained him to think he would probably spend very little time with it, given he only met up with blitzwing once a month at the most. 

He took note of all the emotions swelling inside his chassis and dizzying his processor. He heard that carriers and sires got downright primal in their love and protective nature over each other and their sparklings, but he didn't anticipate how powerful it would feel. Factions be damned, the war could wait, it needed to for this.

A quick glance outside and he saw the drained storm dispersing into the night sky, the first stars peeking out. Whatever other fears he held would have to make due with his neglect, he was in too good a mood to ruin now. "It's a lot to process blitzy, but believe me i'm more than excited! I dunno what I was expecting to feel but this is more than I imagined, but it feels right. Like we're doing something good."

The excitement was slow but contagious, like an unstable cyberkitten waddling down the length of their bond. Blitzwing relaxed his rigid wings and unfurled his em field, only wisps of apprehension clung to it, the rest filled out with a deep yearning. His spark cried for his mate so he pulled the tiny yellow bug flush against him and let out a shuddering breath, still raw from crying earlier. He was content to just hold him like this forever, the mini bot yelping in surprise at the sudden manhandling before melting back into blitzwing's lap like he belonged there. 

They sat like that for a while, optics closed, clutching each other like they were the only source of warmth in a tundra. Sparks beating in rhythm as they slowly let emotions pass freely through their bond and across their fields, in those precious moments all was right in the world.

Eventually though bee broke the silence again, the storm having fled and leaving behind something that felt new and still. The air crisp and carrying every word with a heightened significance. "Hey um.. Is that offer still on the table?" Bee asked a bit meekly, his smile brighter than the full moon beaming down from overheard. Blitzwing was a bit confused and tilted his helm to the side, before his optic widened in realization.

He had to cough and reset his vox a few times, but the words managed to filter out. "Jou vant to see ze little vone?" Blitzwings voice had an edge of exhilaration to it, he leaned back to gaze down at his chassis as his smile widened and cut across his face. His previous nervousness fleeing as he took solace in the joy this tiny life was already generating. He laughed and tapped the cover of his cockpit, gleefully calling out in a sing-song tone. "Vhat's ze password?~" 

Bee straightened up and leaned his chin on the large obsidian cockpit, a wry grin spread on his faceplates. "Pretty please? Open sesame? Please-let-me-see-our-tiny-mini-us?" 

Blitzwing's spark chamber was exposed in an instant, the panels snapping away so quickly Bee had to jerk back lest he fall in. Bee looked up to the triple changer, his plating began to vibrate in excitement as his frame was washed in a bright red glow. The air soon filled with the erratic thumps from the exposed spark, the night shrouding all other sounds. 

Bee always noticed how each face had a different spark beat, he hoped the tiny spark would fare well in such a sporadic environment. Observing the hypnotizing rhythm the spark was beating in he peered and peeked around, but he couldn't spot the little thing. He knew blitzwing wasn't lying as he could see the nutrient rich excess plates growing around his spark chamber, but the tiny spark wasn't visible.

He pouted and leaned forward for another quick scan before looking up at blitzwing to mumble. "I dunno if it likes me."

"Nein, it loves jou. We love jou. How could ve not love our sveet little bug." Blitzwing assured and reached for Bee's face, pulling him up for a sharp kiss. Bee hummed in content before breaking away to resume searching for the tiny spark, his optics burning bright with zeal. After a little while blitzwing shuddered as the cold air began to nip at his spark, Bee cast a quick glance up, but randoms bright optics along with his tingling field urged him to keep looking.

It took a while but soon enough bee's face lit up, eyes going comically wide and mouth forming an o, as a tiny ball of light winked out from behind the massive red spark. "HOLY SLAG!" 

His eyes locked onto the tiny blue spark, more protective protocols surging through him as his coding confirmed he was indeed going to be a sire. He whispered fervently to blitzwing "I just saw it. It's playing peekaboo behind your spark." The mini bot was buzzing with energy now, his excitement hitting its peak over seeing the tiny ball of light. Once more it peeked from behind the giant spark before diving back around, completely baffling Bee as to how the tiny spark could comprehend being stared at. 

With a crackle of static both parties jerked away from each other, both getting slapped in the audial with distorted speech. Blitzwing snapped his chest plates shut in an instant as he crawled away from Bee, a sharp pain stabbing his spark as he turned away. Bee looked away with a hurt expression and wrung his hands together with a vice like grip. He settled on the floor as the curtain of blankets followed blitzwing's retreating form, draped over him mournfully. 

"M-my Lord! I apologize a storm-"  
...  
"Yes I know but-"  
...  
"Please, my Lord! I vas just-"

Blitzwing's massive frame couldn't tuck itself smaller if it was in a trash compacted, his wings shivering through the soft gray wool like the fabric held no warmth. One large servo was cupped against his face to press into his audial whilst the other strangled a swath of blanket with trembling digits. He closed his lonesome eye and began a tedious ritual of humming occasionally to show he was listening without actually speaking. 

Eventually blitzwing slumped forward like a marionette, his voice softly whispering out solemn words. "Of course, my Lord." With an equally soft ex vent the large hand against his face dropped away, head tilting down as regret tangled into the wires of his vox and vocal cords. "I must leave.." 

Bee began to thaw from his frozen state, mind churning with slush as the words sunk in. His spark sputtered at the slow realization, stalling in his chest and weighing his limbs to the floor as his gray weeping willow rose. With a soft shudder the triple changer uncloaked and hesitated, before leaning down to drown bee in the still warm fabric. He pressed his cold blue lips to bee's helm as he trapped the mini bot to his chest, the motion spurring some life into him.

"I'll see you soon. I swear." Bee's voice wavered his vows, the trembling vibrations in his vox knocking the promise askew. 

Blitzwing pulled away, trying not to look as tired as he did. To not sag right then and there into the ground like an old tree being toppled by stormy winds. His smile was thin, optics watery, wings adjacent and quivering almost as bad as his vox. "I look forward to it, love." And before bee could watch his king of hearts tumble from the top of his house of cards the triple changer was melting out of the door into the night. The sound of tank treads rolling away awakening a symphony of crickets and cicadas.

Bee sat there in the dark for a while, the singing insects awakening a foggy memory of lazy sunday mornings half asleep on a couch, sari sleeping against him as prowl flicked through nature channels. The memory felt melancholy yet wrong, missing an important component to truly feel like home. His spark was twisted in two directions and he was left stranded at the crossroads.

So sitting there in silence he listened to his own private orchestra, nursing his wounded spark back to life. He figured he should leave for his base too, no use letting team prime onto what was going on. Besides, the once warm blankets were cold and rigid now.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome home means different things for different factions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the support! It really motivated me to write and post this chapter, I feel like my writing is sup par but y'all bring out the confidence in me to write! Fair warning there is quite a bit of angst and some sweet fluff in this chapter, but as you can probably guess i'm a very angsty author. I'm also trying to improve keeping characters in character, so if you have any feedback i'd love to hear it.

It was nearing the end of the night by the time Blitzwing had made it home. The decepticon base lay nested in the crook of a remote mountain overlooking Detroit, the hard pressed dirt packed with carbon that hid their base from prying scanners. Thick swaying evergreens stood alert like sentinels, further obscuring where exactly any possible entrances may lie. One in particular was a large crack in the northern base of the mountain, originally a railway that transported ore was now long forgotten. The humans that had constructed the confusing tunnels seemed to have forgotten the mines, precious minerals having been harvested long ago. The number of tunnels carved into the mountain was truly astonishing if not infuriating (still Blitzwing had to admire their thoroughness). It like many other railways maring the mountain lead deep into their heart of the base, those that didn't were dead ends or labyrinths. 

Blitzwing trudged away from the forests damp grasp, leaving behind broken foliage and deep muck filled puddles that begged his frame to join them in ceremonious decay. His tank alt was slathered in fragrant water that still whispered their stories of time spent on the tedious trek home, memory still fresh with the fevered trilling of owls and the mournful cries of trees weeping and breaking to the storm. The night had been dark and without mercy as the mud had tried to glue onto his treads and pull him into ponds and ditches, entrapping him long enough for bugs and foliage to make themselves at home in every seam. It was a nightmare and he felt absolutely filthy, and yet it was nearing its end. The sun weakly bled the first few rays of red into the sky, chasing away the darkness and with it the fatigued storm. 

The soft light of morning was slowly filtering through the saturated evergreens to brush against the mountainside, splashing a coat of color over cold rocks with the soft warmth of reds and yellows. Around the entrance of the commonly used railway, foliage desperately tried to claim the lecherous carbon, but it would not yield. The only thing capable of growing on the cracked rocks and hostile soil were sparse wildflowers blooming between the cracks, using everything it took to prove with irritation that, yes, life finds a way. Normally the flowers would be full bloom in various pastel yellows and blues, yet now they hung precariously from their stalks, the damp flowers glowed red and purple in the harsh light. 

Blitzwing was resting at the edge of the rocky clearing in his tank alt, his heated engine humming still and his treads sinking into the cold gritty dirt. He felt a wave of frustration bubble up with how filthy he felt, that very same anger having trapped him under the onslaught of the storm. Still under all that frustration and bitterness a tingling anxiety sang quietly from deep in his chassis, the same kind born from well versed routines of impending punishment. The entrance remained motionless save for the swaying of the plant life, a few leaves falling from them to dapple themselves over sunken rail tracks. He waited along the edge of the crisp and empty clearing as the forest began to stir, the wet rustling of leaves and rousing of animals picking feverishly at his nerves. He felt very much like an earth animal at this moment, waiting patiently for the slightest sign of movement before bolting.

Lord Megatron was aware of Blitzwing's absence, and rather than rush home to the irate warlord he had taken the slower of his two alt modes. It felt like a poor decision in retrospect, but if he wasn't slugging his way through the disgusting terrain he would have had to fly through turbulent winds and blinding rain before being struck out of the sky by a wild lick of lightning. His thick plating letting loose a slight tremor upon entertaining the idea of flying through a chaotic lightning storm, no use playing icarus when the ground was an option.

It still didn't seem to matter that the sky became a curtain of iron that night, Megatron was still the hard rock leaving blitzwing in between the two. He cursed at himself for his hasty decision, reacting impulsively to the most immediate danger rather than thinking ahead for the long term. Perhaps he should have flown, but he cut his train of thought off, no more time for what if's. He had spent too much time delaying the inevitable, he rolled forward into the clearing and reverted back into his robot mode.

Blitzwing's scarlet face grimaced as the slimy residue of the forest managed to shift under some of his plating, irritating clumps of muck falling away from his frame as he trudged forward. He flicked as much debris as he could from his chassis and arms, awkwardly flapping his arms and wings all the while muttering curses in german and nearing that harrowing entrance. What a mess this all was, what was his lord think of him when he saw him?

He pulled his scarlet filled gaze from his grimy chassis and nervously glanced up at that void crack in the mountain. His tanks churning with trepidation as he pondered that question, curious as on how to explain himself. Stopping just shy of the mountains maw he considered what exactly he was about to do. The nonstop hesitating and attempts at critical thinking were all symptoms of his blue face, but everything felt wrong. He wanted to calm down but frustration kept bubbling to the top of his processor, all his calmer emotions just out of reach. 

He wanted to scream in rage about the chaotic things he was feeling but all that came forth was an involuntary whine. Fear was spilling from his chassis and was creeping into every limb, his mind fighting to stay calm and the conflicting feelings sent a splitting ache through his processor. He clenched his fists and tried to ignore the grotesque squish of mud between his digits, wanting nothing more than to turn around and pound the absolute slag out of some tree. 

He grimaced when he noticed a pair of smoldering red optics glowing deep within the cave, taking a few involuntary steps back. He almost stumbled out onto his aft but just managed to pitch his weight forward, his knee hitting the cold ground with a solid crunch. 

In one swift motion he was kneeling in the clearing, eyes cast down and a nervous servo pressed into his chassis as he greeted his master. "Lord Megatron." His dull voice broke forth, his face swapping to the most defensive of the three, praying the icy numbness would chase away all emotions and leave only logic and masterful calculating. He couldn't look weak in front of his master, couldn't look suspicious or worst yet conniving.

He mentally winced at the amount of times his lord had demonstrated how he handled traitors, starscream's energon stained his very own servos. Although he duly noted the warlord had allowed the sniveling coward back into his ranks, but Blitzwing wasn't exactly immortal like his comrade proved to be.

He kept his optics down as heavy footfalls made their way to him, crunching their way over the terrain to stop a few meters from him. His deep voice booming out a quick irate command "Rise." 

Blitzwing instantly rose, spinal strut snapping strait and his wings knocked back, arms at his sides and optics looking anywhere but straight ahead. He was in a perfect 'at attention' with his gaze burning a hole in the flowers swaying precariously above the entrance from their vice like grip on the rocks. A firm servo reached out and cupped his chin, jerking his head up to look directly into those smoldering optics. Sharp black talons dug into the bottom of his faceplate and he suppressed a hiss of pain with a quick bite of his tongue. 

"A wondrous time to finally return. I'm curious Blitzwing, are you aware of what time it is?" The warlord purred out, the shift in tone catching the triple changer off guard. He couldn't help his lone optic widening in panic, vents hitching as it darted up to the sun spilling over the lip of the earth. The question felt odd yet shameful, he should have flown back he mournfully realized, his trek through the woods having taken hours.

A firm squeeze to his faceplate had him relocking his eye on the warlords face, sputtering out words between squished lips. "I-I apologize my Lord, I vas just out looking for fuel vhen ze rain-" his lie cut off with a choked hack before he could deliver it. 

A panicked sound tried to make its way out, but was cut off as an iron fist closed around the triple changers throat. Blitzwing's lone eye shot open wide, mirroring his monocle as his hands scrambled clumsily against his captors wrist. His talons scratched and gouged rivets in the silver metal, yet no matter how frantically he clawed at him the pressure remained. 

"Did your fragile processor forget we are in the process of organizing a formidable assault on cybertron? Should I explain the importance of crafting a spacebridge for a time sensitive raid? Or will my words of our dying race fail to pierce your thick and gluttonous processor!" Megatron spat at blitzwing as he tightened his grip, ignoring his frightened subordinates silent words of 'please' and 'stop'. He squeezed until it looked like Blitzwing's lone optic was going to pop out and his monocle was seconds from shattering, a single crack splitting the center of it. 

He pulled back his lips in a snarl and continued his onslaught of words. "I grow tired of your impulsive behavior blitzwing, I've been quite generous with you. Yet you prance about taking advantage, do I look like the mech you want to take advantage of?" Blitzwing frantically shaking his head did nothing to satiate Megatron's fury, his eyes vicious hot coals.

He tugged and spit as his vox began to smoke and creak, his heavy legs bent and slowly lowered him to the ground. Anywhere that was away from those cruel optics and vicious hands. Burning bright like twin harvest moons in the darkest of nights, the glowing sun reflecting off his face obscuring the features. All he could see was the snarl of his teeth and the ugly scrunch in his eyes, like some malicious beast awoke within that cave. 

He began to kick as his vision flickered again and again, his audial muffled as his face began to shift like a stuttering Merry go round. Each horse on the ride taking their turn to buck, kick, beg and cry in some desperate attempt at escape. He could see the side of the mountain bathed in blinding gold, his vision obscured and spinning with a sick vertigo. Spots of black began to bleed into his vision before a sharp kick snapped him out of his dying haze.

Suddenly the hand let go leaving the sputtering mech to fall to his knees hacking and venting hard. He looked up but didn't see so much as felt a pede kick him in the abdomen leaving him doubling over clutching himself. He couldn't straighten up or speak to prevent what was about to happen, so instead he curled up to defend himself from the oncoming onslaught. 

Another harsh kick to his side left him winded but he was determined to protect his middle, a sudden protective surge struck him to his core. His instincts going haywire he curled as tightly as possible around his chassis, pushing his legs apart so they framed it as he pushed it to the ground. Even wrapping his arms over his helm in blind panic. He was glad his vox was shot at the moment, his sense of reason gone as he warbled out static instead of screeching his mates name. 

More kicks struck his back and limbs, but his chest continued to remain unharmed. A firm grasp took hold of one of his wings right at its base, trying to yank him up from his defensive position. A deep rumble shook through his trembling frame, the warlord snarling in anger. "Get. Up!" Another sharp tug, pain shooting through his whole frame hot and bright. That iron fist squeezing his most sensitive limb and threatening to tear it off should he refuse to comply. "You insolent fiend, even now you make things worse for yourself."

Another hard squeeze had the wing twisting in place, facing upwards like how most seekers had them. 

Blitzwing was not most seekers. 

His vision went white and he lifted his head, coughing as every nerve and sensory net was set aflame. His whole body spasmed and began to repeatedly dry heave, oral lubricant spitting out and slipping down his chin. He dug his talons painfully into his helm and grit his teeth, faceplate spinning away in favor of his black one. This was it. He was going to be killed. 

He wanted to retaliate but his body was screaming in agony, wing sending sharp pulses that wavered down his spinal strut and reverberated throughout his limbs. They were shaking too hard to crawl away on, too loose to curl around his middle. He was helpless as he was kicked onto his side, letting out a gurgled hiss as he landed on his dislocated wing. 

He thought he was dead when he was seeing stars, the assault finally over, so he laid there trying to come to terms with the fact that he was probably a ghost. Giggling like a nervous hyena as he contemplated the fact he probably wasn't going to die alone, no he had a burning sapphire star ready to supernova right with him. He couldn't help the crackle of smoke pour from his throat in his heartbroken laughter that he got to die with his spark pressed against another's. He could feel the innocent ball press up behind his spark like it was trying to get reabsorbed, pain washing over him that the sweet thing had to suffer. Everything around him stilled except the currents of air flowing over his frame, smoke wafting from his mouth in chasmic waves. 

But ever so slowly his vision faded back in, his audials ringing before mellowing out to hear the sounds of his own ragged venting. He reset his optics a few times, sharp mouth turned down in a thin scowl as he acessed his surroundings. The red errors slowly faded out to reveal the bitter morning sky, a shadow cast down over him. 

Megatron stood over him with storm clouds dispersing from around his helm, optics full of something cold and perturbing. Blitzwing gawked at him a while, both their fans whirring on high for different reasons. The warlord sneered before casually shifting his pede atop the down mech's cockpit, causing him to flinch and violently shake his head.

"Pathetic." He rumbled out, expression a mix of bored and disgusted as he contemplated his subordinate. Megatron couldn't have known, but his pede was crushing the only thing protecting that tiny spark inside. The little thing fluttering about in panic throughout the entire ordeal, sending soft little tingles of fear and confusion to the larger spark nestled against it. He had only been sparked for a month, how did the warlord know?! Blitzwing grabbed weakly at the offending pede to alleviate the pressure, trying his best to protect and defend, cackling as he failed to even do that.

Megatron ground his foot down, earning a high pitched screech from the chaotic face present. The warlord paused as he observed the terror screwing up Blitzwing's face, often finding the obsidian face more honest than the other two. "You were looking for fuel were you? Dear blitzwing we have plenty here, do we not? I find it strange you insist upon leaving regularly to feed yourself, don't you?" 

A confused expression lite up the triple changer's jagged face, before it morphed into a nervous one. Smoke was still wafting from his bright red intake and energon bubbled up to slip down his chin. He tried to speak and was glad only broken pops and garbled words came out, but with that furious expression on his leaders face he reset his vox a few times to release glitched and sputtered words. "V-vell not when zat fat brute lugnut doesn't like to share! B-but jou my Lord, jou've been most generous!" Blitzwing cackled nervously as he tried to placiate his Lord, tried to keep bumblebee at the very back of his mind so he wouldn't impulsively shout about him. Don't think about the terrified sparkling clinging to his pounding spark or it's worried sire still alone in that warehouse, no don't let megatron know. "I vould never take advantage of jour generosity! It's just sooo hard being a triple changer, I have two engines after all!" 

He was being honest but he could tell the answers didn't fully satisfy his leader, not with how his burning optics narrowed to slits. He ground his pede down a little harder and drew out another pained screech, the sound warbling as shaking servos kept trying to push the offending foot away in vain. He could hear the quiet trickle of bulletproof glass losing its composure, thin cracks splintering away like spider threads.

Blitzwing's hysteric words flew out in a rush as his legs tore up the ground underneath him, trying fruitlessly to scramble away. "P-please! I don't know what you want from me, I'm always hungry!!! Ahahaha always hungry ALWAYS! You know how much I need to refuel, why are you doing this!?! WHY?! You made me this way, what did you expect!?! You forced me to!!! You let the little spider have her way with me so why am I always being punished! I didn't do anything! I do everything you ask and more, why play these games this isn't fun! If you're going to kill me get it over with!!! But if no then Please-just-get-off-please-your-killing-it-get-off-get-off-get-offitsgoingtodie!!!"

The warlord snarled before pulling his pede off the triple changer, his expression melting slowly into his usual indifference. He regarded Blitzwing with a heavy stare for a few clicks as he processed the torrent of words before rolling his eyes. Blitzwing was venting hard as he slapped his servos to his cracked cockpit, shuddering vents coming in hard as coolant pricked his optics. He flinched and closed his optics when the warlord spoke. "Death must seem like a generous offer for your demented processor. Keep up this kind of behaviour and I'll do you a favor and put you out of your misery. Now get inside."

Blitzwing felt as though he had been dunked in frigid water, relief rushed through his systems and flipped his face back to soft powder blue. He stared up at the warlord in utter disbelief as his words spun around in his processor much like his faces, realizing this was just a punishment. Despite the fact he was let off with just a 'warning' his frame still trembled with terror making his limbs jitter and struggle to push himself up. He couldn't feel his arms as the pain from his dislocated wing paralized his chassis and wrung painful currents all throughout his body. Megatron coldly observed his struggle to sit up, impatience nibbling at his processor. 

Blitzwing seemed to catch onto this, trying to hurry and drag himself up and inside like his life depended on it. He leaned his good side against the dank cave wall and began the tedious trek to the main chamber, flinching hard when heavy footfalls followed casually behind him. He felt like he was being hunted as he limped down the tunnel, every stagger and trip making ice shoot through his fuel lines. He began to hate the sunken rails as they took a liking to hooking and catching his treads in a malicious effort to trip him. The wind howling through the tunnel bit at his exposed circuitry, alerting him to all the dents and cuts littering his frame. 

He could feel the harsh burn of optics on his back but he dared not look behind him as he huffed and struggled forward, those tedious footsteps behind him echoing throughout the narrow passage before being swallowed by the darkness. Coolant bubbling along the surface of his plating and dripping to the damp floor, despite the vicious chill in the cavern. He almost cried when the violet light from the main chamber breached the darkness of their tunnel, a false sense of security hitting him in the face.

Blitzwing tried to push off the wall to stumble in, but suppressed a shrill scream behind clenched teeth when a firm servo grasped his shoulder. He looked meekly to his stoic leader hoping he wasn't changing his mind, but he had his gaze locked firmly on the group of seekers moving crates near a giant monitor. He dragged his gaze over the room before Lugnut lumbered over on his own accord, his eyebrow ridge perked in interest as he 'helped' blitzwing inside. 

"Ah! M-master you've returned! We just finished phase one of your glorious plans, as per instructed-" 

Megatron spoke over whatever praise Lugnut was bellowing as he pushed the triple changer into confused pincers, barking out quick instructions as he turned to his throne besides the monitor. "Tell me later Lugnut! Blitzwing has returned from a skirmish with the autobots. Spare some generosity and assist our comrade with bathing and repair." 

The triple changer felt his tank turn to lead and sink as Megatron placed emphasis on the word 'generosity' in his orders. He could feel a wave of exhaustion claim him as strong arms supported him and began to lead him away, he was in a daze as five optics turned their attention to him. A few seeker heads swiveled in his direction, whistling when they caught sight of his mangled frame. The soft violet light of the main chambers monitors made his processor spin so he closed his eyes and allowed his comrade to lead him away.

Before he knew it the larger mech was helping him into another tunnel, deep voice growling as he looked over his beaten comrade. "Those accursed autobots! They fight with no honor for they are no match for our strength alone! How many of the sparkless vermin ganged up on you?" Despite the arrogant boom of his voice that last question had hints of concern laced in his voice. 

Blitzwing held his helm down and sighed, knowing full well he couldn't tell Lugnut about what megatron had just done to him outside. He would never believe him and an accusation like that would only make the giant brute hostile towards him. He just shook his head and muttered "Ich habe kein ahnung. I don't remember." 

The answer only spurred that righteous power within Lugnut's spark and he growled. "We will have our revenge, our master will make sure of it." Blitzwing tried not to cringe at his comrades comment, only humming in appreciation as he leaned more of his weight against him. He tried to ignore the way Lugnut's singular optic narrowed at him, hoping the next few hours could be silent. While he appreciated his concern's and promises of vengeance he just needed some time to decompress, especially with the painful twist deep within his spark chamber.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The window let out another low wail as it was eased open another foot, the tense canary servo holding it up freezing. Team primes base was a glorified warehouse, busted up concrete splashed with obscure stains and sheet metal walls curling and rusting like they were bright leaves tucking in to get ready for winter. Each door frame and window still shrieked or moaned when opening like some built in announcement system. Bee mentally cursed out the half open window his servo was on, making a solemn promise to aggressively oil every door and window in the base if it meant not waking up his whole squad. 

He huffed in the chilly night air as he disregarded that promise til a chore day came around, right now he needed to focus. He wiggled his wrist as he eased the window up slowly, the offensive piece of glass only emitting soft squeaks now. Letting go of the window to place both servos on the frame bee was about to hoist himself inside, a pede using a stray concrete block to help boost him up, when a shrill scream from above startled him. He was barely registering the sound when he felt the metal teeth of the window slam down on his digits, blue optics bulging as pain lanced up his arms.

In a blind panic he ripped the window back up and threw himself in, letting gravity both dump him on the floor and throw the window back down with a second shrill scream. He didn’t quite care for being quiet as he struggled up to his pedes and dove over the couch like his life depended on it, hitting its plush cushions and bouncing to a stop. His servos we're screaming in pain and his body was still slightly shivering from the cold night air, but he was hoping if anyone woke they would only glance at him. With closed optics the minibot fiend sleep as deeper within the base a door creaked open and curious footsteps made their way down the long stretch of hallway. 

Bee tried to fiend sleep as he curled up in a loose ball and let himself sink into the cushions, his optics squeezed closed and his digits trembling in pain. He dared not move as curious footsteps echoed down the stretch of hallway, not even as the footsteps paused in front of him. His spark was hammering away and he refused to twitch his optics open for a peek; but they continued away in the direction of their makeshift kitchen. It felt like an eternity as rummaging noises sounded off, a quiet tinkle followed by a small splash before those footsteps returned. He could feel the couch shift as someone clambered up to sit next to him, realisation hitting him that only one member was short enough to have to actually climb the furniture. 

The light of the tv lit up the room with a soft click causing bee to flinch, his growing expertise in lying finding it the perfect opportunity to 'wake up'. He perked his head to look at sari, the 8 year old contently munching on her cereal before noticing the autobot looking at her. She smiled sheepishly as she tiredly explained whilst leaning her blanket covered self against his leg. "Sorry, a noise woke me up so I came out here to watch cartoons." She quirked a brow at him before turning back to her cartoons, in it a cat was chasing a mouse around with a frying pan. "Did You fall asleep out here? Prime said you were out late last night. I was a little worried." 

Bee felt his spark ease as he leaned up, a heavy ex-vent leaving his intake. He was thankful it was only sari who woke up, if it had been ratchet or prowl they would be up his tail pipe over all the racket. He shifted sari close to him as he turned to watch with her, frame still cold and damp but she didn't seem to notice. He answered lazily as the night began to catch up with him. He quietly realized he hadn't slept sense the previous night, but he was a tough bot, he could go days without recharge. "Yeah I did. I was just on patrol, the couch was closer than my berth." Not a complete lie. "The weather was wild, rained so hard all the villains and cons stayed inside."

Sari snorted behind her sleeve, getting cozy again as she was shifted around. "Guess those big baddies are scared of a little rain, not you though, huh?" 

"Hah, as if a little rain ever stopped me from speeding around Detroit." Bee bit his lip as he thought about how he hadn't been doing that, zoning out as he pondered if Blitzwing made it back to his base safe. He absently rubbed at his chest plates with aching servos as a prickle of worry wormed its way into it, he was still reeling over the news he got that night. It was funny how that night almost didn't feel real, it had been cold and brimming with emotions. Now Bee was far from that place, sitting on a warm couch cuddling with sari like it had never happened, but his thoughts were still trapped in that tiny wet warehouse, his audials still ringing with Blitzwing's nervous voice. 

Sari interrupted his buzzing processor as she giggled between slurping childishly from her bowl, before setting it down next to her. He glanced at her as she perked up enthusiastically, a huge smile already tugging the corner of her lips to her ears. "I wish I could go on night patrols with you, you always stay out super late racing around I bet." She looked away sheepishly as she fiddled with her hands pouting slightly. "But prime says i'm too young to be doing that late out at night."

Bee felt his brow ridge perk in surprise, not realizing everyone was noticing his absences. Sure he always volunteered for night patrols but they were far and few, only necessary when some little human villain was roaming around. Shaking his head in denial he ruffled her rose colored pigtails as she tried to squirm away giggling. He tried to sound confident but hints of nervous tones bled into his words. "Is that what Prime thinks? I'm just out making sure the bad guys behave!"

Sari narrowed her magenta eyes at the autobot as she crossed her arms, shooting him a look that said 'yeah I don't buy that'. Bee's confident smirk faltered and he refused the temptation to scrunch his face in concern, instead taking a more neutral look. He rubbed the back of his helm and sighed as he mumbled softly. "Everyone's keeping tabs on me now?" The question softening the child's accusatory face into a more confused look. Her brows slowly raised as she fumbled with her blanket before looking away, reaching for the remote and aimlessly swapping through channels.

She mulled over her words for a while before sighing, eyes briefly glancing at the worry beginning to sag her friend's posture. "Well kinda… Prime thinks you're sneaking out to race with humans. He was hoping you'd pop up in the news, maybe arresting those street racers that speed through Detroit." She shook her ruffled pigtails before huffing and leaning back against the mini bot, each click of the remote bringing t.v. show after t.v. show with blips of static between. "But we haven't seen anything, so he thinks you're encouraging some stuff." She didn't look at him as she stared holes in the t.v. "Prime says racing is dangerous, you guys are cars, you know your limits. But sometimes the news shows how humans get hurt in accidents, or how they hurt other people, he's worried you're being a bad influence." 

Bee felt his frame tick still and his vents shut off as he absorbed the eight year olds words, shock hitting him right in the spark. Sure he loved a good race but there was a difference between speeding after bad guys, and actively encouraging dangerous races that could hurt or even end the life of a racer or any unfortunate pedestrians. She caught the look of shock on his face because she dropped the remote and held her hands up. "H-hey not everyone shares the big guys opinion!" 

Bee couldn't help the trickle of hurt reflected from his optics as he looked at sari, not quite sure what to say. When he spoke the words were foreign and distant from his normal voice. "Do you believe him?" Now it was Sari's turn to look shocked, quickly shaking her head. He caught his emotional slip up quickly, surprised at the moment of vulnerability, he forced himself to smile as a bit of mirth made its way through. "Good. You know I care about the humans, and yeah I might not care so much for my own skidplate but I sure care about theirs." 

Sari smiled as she nodded again, reassurance practically written all over her face. "I believe you, you always do the right things. So you're just patrolling a whole lot then? Come to think of it you were always jumpy and paranoid, like when we went camping and you were a scaredy bot the whole time." She snickered as she saw Bee's face light up with embarrassment. His plating flared as he grumbled and looked away, muttering something about how he was 'not being a scaredy bot', the child finding it the best time to tease him. "Scaredy bot! Scaredy bot! Oooooo look at me I'm a scary barnacle monster!" She had her blanket draped over her head now, and wiggled her fingers with as much menace as a graceless kitten.

Bee snorted behind his hand at her theatrics, trying desperately to re-immerse her into what was showing on tv. Now the channel was on some wild-eyed man in a funny hat squating next to a snake, all the while screaming random facts about its lethality before provoking it to bite him. Bee snorted again as his mood was marginally improved, pointing out the screaming human. "Look that's you when you're grown, poking nature cause you're so brave." 

Sari finally gave up her 'spooky' antics and burst out laughing as the human dramatically rolled on the floor in pain. "I don't think i'd poke snakes Einstein. Besides I think he's doing it to demonstrate how to treat the bites." If this was a demonstration then it was a hilarious one, the pair found themselves quickly enthralled with the bizarre show. Most of it featuring some lunatic man poking dangerous organics before rolling about in pain, both giggling like children over his antics. 

An idea began to churn about in bee's mind though, specifically when the man brought up how to take shelter in the wilderness. His interest peaking when he described how some people lost in the wilderness were 'never found'. Of course he broke up all the gritty dark realitys with humor and facts, juggling survival with pure comedic talent. His thoughts began to become as erratic and crazy as the man on tv, entertaining the thought of making a shelter in the woods. 

Sari noticed Bee wasn't laughing as frequently as he should, having lapsed into silence as she poked his amber thigh with her elbow. "Hey big guy, you short circuit on me?" The minibot releasing a startled beep as he recollected his wild thoughts. He stared at Sari for a second as his brain hatched a second wild plan. 

He couldn't stop himself before he blurted out the fateful question, "Do you wanna go camping again? No creepy space barnacles this time!" Sari looked surprised before it twitched with annoyance.

"You're not going to make me poke a bunch of snakes and spiders are you?" While she had a mean tone he could see how her eyes slightly sparkled with excitement, like a kid on Christmas eve.

He smirked as he poked her nose with his pinky "I super promise, cross my spark and hope to die. Although I can't promise I won't throw a frog in your tent." She squealed as she took his pinky with her own in earnest, bee trying to hush her before she woke the whole squad. She mumbled a ' sorry' before throwing a hug around the bots waist, her whole being radiating an innocent happiness. He pat her on the head as a smile quirked the corners of his lips in an unrelenting smile, glancing gratefully back at the t.v. 

If he could scope out mother nature now that he wasn't so green maybe he could figure out a decent if not permanent hiding spot for blitzwing. They had been jumping from abandoned building to building to meet up, and sure maybe he couldn't protect the huge bot but nature was mean. It could hide things and keep them hidden, make crazy humans roll on the floor in pain and keep sane bots away. 

He quickly pressed a digit to his audial and sent a text comm to his mate, his instructions brief. 

Meet me tomorrow night. I have an idea.

Sari looked up at the mini bot just after he pulled his servo away from his helm, smile brightening the room. Completely unaware of the text Bee had sent to his mate. "So when are we going? Maybe the weekend? That way we can tell prime and get ready by then? Oooo can we bring prowl again! He knows everything about nature!" Bee nodded at the enthusiastic child, shuffling them so they were back to facing the tv to witness the trivial trials of that poor human getting bitten and stung by more various animals. Exhaustion hung to his frame and a yawn slipped out from between smirking lips, resting a hand under his chin to fruitlessly fight off recharge.

His words were slightly slurred as his vision began to blurr, darkness encroaching down from his optics. "Of course we can bring prowl, he can help us pick a good spot again. He's got a knack for picking the best places to watch grass grow." Sari snorted at his comment but Bee didn't hear it as his head slipped forward into recharge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so one of my favorite blitzbee authors loves pinky promises so I couldn't help myself. Some nights a struggled to write a sentence and other nights I can write 1k words nonstop for an hour, the fluff played out in my head as I was writing and dang nabbit I loved every sentence. I hope y'all enjoy!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahahaaaaa I'm sorry it takes eons to update, corona-chan is holding my sanity hostage as I fist fight my rent and bills through my ''essential'' job. Still i'm glad to finally have this chapter done with, dialogue is a nightmare but I think i'm improving. Any feedback is awesome!!

When night had fallen they had both agreed to meet at a seldom frequented park, the name escaping the pair but both remembering it by its large moose shaped sign. It was a bit of a harrowing drive for Bumblebee, especially considering it was a long drive on top of ratchet berating him for sleeping in half the day. The medic had been merciless with a wrench in hand and loading nonstop chores onto him until night settled yet again. The days began to blur much like the street lights overhead, passing too quickly to keep track of as he lived his life in the night. 

Eventually the consistent beams of yellow light splashing the road began to grow in distance and the sparse few lights with burnt out bulbs began to increase. One particular one was tilted with a nasty scuff, a gravel road to the left of it stretched its rocky tongue into the forest. Further down the road the proper entrance sat with its vigilant moose sign, the wooden animal the size of a billboard causing its head to peek above the trees. He transformed into root mode to continue down the obscured path, the solid crunch under his feet giving him a peculiar comfort. Usually he hated gravel as it got into his shoulders and calves, his tires sucking up the tiny rocks like velcro, but he felt a sense of melancholy as he treked down the road. In a weird sense the road felt solid and therefore real, the light gray rocks contrasting sharply against the hazing twilight. 

Trying to sightsee left his processor muggy as the swaying trees morphed and blurred together, like they were trading branches among each other to remain unidentifiable. The constant chatter of branches shaking out their wet leaves made the minibot feel even smaller than usual so he quickened his pace, bursting into a light jog as he got lost in the shifting maze of trees. From inside his subspace a weight shifted as each step caused it to bounce, a smug smirk tugging at his faceplates. He sent a quick ping to blitzwing to let him know he was here, surprise snapping his attention when he immediately received one back.

If he was already here he should have seen him standing above the trees, shouldn't he? They normally had a mini match of hide and seek with blitzwing always being the Victor, he had a height advantage and three pairs of eyes to choose from after all. And glancing around to try and spot the giant mech didn't help much, not with the clawed canopy caging the forest. He felt a bit foolish when he realized he was dwarfed by his surroundings, immediately scouting out somewhere open and large. 

Night continued its slow crawl over the woods, bleeding down black branches until it touched roots, anxiety nibbling at the mini bot as his sight began to grow more obscured. He wanted to pop his headlights on but he and Blitzwing had agreed to be cautious when meeting, sometimes one of their own poked around a little too close. A few times Lugnut would drop down from the sky like an archangel of death to retrieve Blitzwing from wherever they were. Somehow the B-10 Bomber always knew where his comrade was, yet just always missed the minibot due to a little stealth and sheer luck. Once even Prime had dropped by a warehouse on the docks to pick up Bee, Fanzone having seen him drive there in the evening. Blitzwing sat calmly in the corner watching them argue, the Prime never noticing the sentient statue with his em field tucked in and lone optic shut. It had taken a lot of theatrics to make sure prime didn't sweep the place during his lecture about running off in the night. Looking back Sari's claim started making sense, Team prime was definitely taking notice of his absences but weren't addressing them often.

Bumblebee's thoughts were practically running beside him, the night absorbing his troubles like they belonged there, although he supposed the wild things did. Jogging further down the trail until a ripple of silver caught his attention, he skidded to a stop to check out what it was. A huge clearing with grass shuffling in the wind was dotted with rotting picnic tables, barely visible between the slits of his wooden maze. The grass seemed to hold an ethereal glow that breached the woods and would reflect lightly off his plating, giving it a ghostly pale color.

He was a bit hesitant to step off the path, the foreboding woods ripe with tangled brambles and steep ditches. He bit his lip before clicking his headlights on, the bright light helping him spot the safest route to the empty field. He kept his steps deliberate as he made his way through them, hissing with pain as thorns swiped and stuck to his exposed protoform and left silver trails in his paint. Bee huffed and kicked the fiendish brambles off his legs a bit frantically, falling over like the forest was trying to drag him back in. He winced as the cargo in his subspace banged around, huffing as he grew irritated the forest might have hurt his gift. He shot the dark thorned plants a baleful glare before untangling himself and stepping away from the limp coils extending from the forest.

He swiped at the cuts littering his calf and grimaced, energon bubbling from them like dew to paint his digits. He swiped his servo in the grass and stood carefully, stepping around a decaying picnic table that was half immersed in the ground. Disfigured boards of wood croaked at him as he kicked a few of them on accident, optics scanning the meadow as he clicked his headlights off. So much for stealth, his paint shining white and silver as each blade of grass tossed its light his way. He glanced up at the ripe moon and was curious if Blitzwing could see it within the confines of the woods.

Bee's gaze was drawn out toward the treeline, brow ridge furrowed in an anxious crease. Night had fully captured the landscape and he had no clue where his mate was, the threads of their fresh bond occasionally tugging at each other's general direction. There was only enough light to tell the sky from the ground, so Bee skimmed the tree tops until he spotted something akin to a radio tower. He knew that bright red light wasn't the tip of a tower though, nothing was out here but miles of trees. He bit his lip and felt his vents shudder as they tried to get their air flow back. He felt a bit cheeky as he flashed his head lights on and off to gain the attention of the red spotlight, throwing caution to the wind in his excitement. It had only been a day but he was vibrating with a sickness only curable by Blitzwing, the distance chewing up his spark.

The red light began to fade in and out, before turning and splitting apart into two. Bee was as still as he had ever been in his life, and he nearly collapsed when he saw the uneven glow of unmatched red optics. He recognized that bright red orb anywhere, he could tell the monocle was cycling through various zooms as it waxed and waned. He could practically feel its warm glow as he slowly lifted a servo into the chilled air and waved, stirring up a hushed breeze. 

A giddy smile broke from his tensed frame as that distant red light finally focused on him, excitement fluttering through his tanks and nipping his spark. He could practically feel that invisible tether between them, like static before a storm. It only grew stronger the brighter those burning optics got, soft thuds resounding from the forest before they began to echo closer. Each step closer sending an excited little pulse as their strained bond finally reeled them in.

Bee wanted to dive forward but took a few steps back into the small clearing he was in, the moonlight shining off each blade of grass like the glint of a million blades. He felt less vulnerable as he backtracked away from the swaying trees and stood firm in the sea of silver grass, a sweet giddy feeling quickly taking its place. He struggled with his words as his mouth opened and closed, only a startled beep making its way out when that pale blue face broke from the eldritch treeline, the sharp curves of cheeks glowed under the soft light. 

Blitzwing held a relieved expression as he crept forward, the moon warping his frames colors into soft greys and deep blues. His face glowed like a beacon, the red glow of his optics mingling with the soft blue moonlight hitting his cheeks and lips in a complementary way. Bee almost forgot the effect the moon had on Blitzwing's frame, the few rare times he was caught under it made him glow like some mythical creature. Even the sharp blades of his wings let light trickle down and cascade off them, thin beams of light following them like feathers. His whole frame seemed to sparkle as bits of light shone like tiny stars dotting his frame, some connected with shining silver lines like constellations. Venting was impossible when the mech before him looked like a piece of the night sky, the image seared into his databanks for possibly forever.

Bee felt like his whole frame was buzzing with static, optics swallowing the sight of his mate like a starved turbo-hound. He pulled open his subspace eagerly as he pulled a stack of circuit boards out, pride bubbling up as he remembered how blitzwing mentioned craving copper. His earlier aforementioned chores biting Ratchet in the aft when the minibot had swiped the junk that was ripe with copper, but in his defense he had left the medbay they hailed from spotless. He had three of them, and each weighted ten pounds, some sire protocol in his circuits was dancing over the achievement. 

Now the gifts felt heavy in his hands, making his servos shake when blitzwing tilted his helm at them. He hoped the gifts were good enough, but he couldn't detect a trace of menace in the larger mechs expression. Instead the subtle crinkle of his brow ridge mixed with his chin being turned up signaled he was confused, the light cascaded over his visor like a veil from the motion. Bee's spark swelled at the adorable expression, holding the boards out and causing a crimson optic to widen in realization. It was criminal for a decepticon to be this cute, bashfulness taking over the fiend as he stole Bee's spark with a gentle smile.

"Are those for me?" Blitzwing asked sweetly, leaning down to take the gifts offered to him in a careful manner. Bee nodded enthusiastically as he opened his intake, a nervous rush of air escaping him. 

"Yeah! I remember how you were talking about needing fuel and um, parts for the sparkling. I swiped these from our medic after he worked me to the bone, I doubt he'll miss em and you need the copper." Blush lite up Bee's faceplates as Blitzwing took them, lone optic wander over the circuit boards in an appraising way. 

"You did all that for me? You must be exhausted, but I suppose you have something more you wanted to share?" Embarrassed the con tilted his helm away as he subspaced the gifts, optic glancing about fretfully before returning to his tiny yet bold mate. "We just saw each other, but I'm very glad to see you." 

Bumblebee had a thousand watt smile as he stepped forward, empty servos reaching up to grab for large ebony servos. "Yeah I know this is a bit risky but I feel sick when I'm away from you, and I was thinking about ways to hide the sparkling…" Something felt off, his servos still empty as the larger con leaned away from him. "Hey, you okay? Did you not like the gifts?"

A soft sickness churned in the minibot as his silver speckled mate stayed just out of reach, optics focusing on the glowing silver lines adorning broad beige plates. Insecure black arms knowingly covered them and the shadow of a crack was visible in a purple arm guard, Bee's frame going still as he began to examine Blitzwing's frame.

The triple changer sucked in a sharp vent and looked down, optics obscured under a veil of silver light as that relieved smile began to look forced with every passing second. "No, no.. I thank you for being thoughtful, but you are correct, this is extremely risky." Blitzwing looked like he wanted to say more but couldn't, while they usually refrained from talking about factions to avoid arguments this felt different. Vents hitching Bee took a step forward only for Blitz to backpedal away, hiding his chassis behind thick arms.

"Blitzwing what happened when you got back to base? You look different. Talk to me, please?" Desperate canary servos reach out for the frame just out of reach, the distance chewing on his hurting spark like a vicious hound. He cursed his height before launching after long black legs, servo snatching a hold onto a knee guard and locking a stern gaze up. It didn't hold long, the steely look in his blue optics fading into a disturbed worry. The light at this angle no longer casting an alluring glow over the thick welds marring Blitzwing's frame. 

Realizing Bee saw him in all his damaged glory the larger mech knelt down, reaching a servo down to pry the canary one off his knee. He didn't want to be seen like this, bee could tell from the way he deflated and tried to hide himself from his worried cyan optics. The larger mech breaking eye contact to look to the side, one servo covering his mouth while the other loosely cradled a shocked yellow one.

Digits intertwined but the physical contact brought no relief to either sparks, both hammering away with two different flavors of anguish . Hard lines of code slammed to a stop before viciously relooping in a stuttering error, the rivers of silver sliced over his mates frame not computing as his sire coding explained this wasn't possible. Carriers didn't look like this, they weren't covered helm to pede in dented metal and ugly welds; sires did not allow this! Bee couldn't stop his gaze roaming over every poor weld and ignored crack, spark squeezing painfully as he absorbed the sight of Blitzwing's nearly shattered cockpit. The dark abyss of glass ignored and left for nanites to repair, guilt capturing the mini bot as he tried to will his frozen servo to touch the cracked dome protecting the two sparks nestled inside. 

The gentle flutter of a stressed ex vent startled Bee into dropping his outstretched servo, digits numb as his other servo was squeezed. "I don't know if Lord Megatron knows about us or about the little one, but I know I was spared yesterday. The same may not be said tonight, I was hoping we wouldn't linger in each other's company for long but I can't deny I cherish every stolen moment." Quiet words ghosted past pale blue lips and as the words registered, never more in his life had Bumblebee wanted to offline someone. 

A dark flicker of rage shot over the bond and Blitzwing flinched, not expecting this rare and potent emotion from the mini bot. Before he could misinterpret where that rage was directed, Bee's tiny engine rumbled and distorted his voice. "Spare? He spared you? I… I just saw you! This isn't real, don't tell me he just.. Mauled you!" Bumblebee shook his head fiercely, all his other emotions ducking for cover as his anger took over. He ignored the burn of fluid in his optics as grief and rage combined, his spark swelling with emotion. Every time reality kept creeping closer his coding lashed out, vicious in its denial. It had only been a day, yet it seemed his parental coding had firmly settled overnight and now it flashed its fangs. " You can't go back, there's no way I'm letting you get even more hurt!" 

Soft nervous waves of energy crashed against the small yellow autobot as though to wear him down, Blitzwing's expression twisting with panic at his tiny mate's boldness. His coding chirped and hummed in approval, his seeker half absolutely relishing the aggressive protectiveness; but he was neither grounder nor seeker. He was stuck in between and he had to be rational as both sides of him hummed with irrational energy, he was already acting more emotional than he was used to. The last thing he needed to do was run away in a fit of love stricken insanity just to get killed, there was no way they could get away with that. A soft hope whispered he could, but his hopes had a habit of dying; he had to get Bee to understand that. 

"What would you have me do, love?" Despite the gentle smile on his powder blue face, bee could hear the turmoil laced through every word. There was no way Bee could let him go back, but he had nowhere to take him; at least not now, this was still so fresh and new. "Your comrades would imprison and dissect me, and I cannot hide from my lord's wrath forever. Do not think I haven't already thought of all my options." Bee felt a heavy confliction settle deep in his chassis as Blitzwing's solemn gaze tilted downward, like he had already accepted his fate.

"Hey team prime isn't that awful, they wouldn't hurt you! They have morals, they wouldn't lay a servo on a carrying mech!" Bee reached up and cupped his mates face as he pressed their nasal ridges together, Blitzwing's visor flat atop Bee's head like their faces were meant for this. He rubbed soothing circles on sharp cheekbones and felt a soft ex vent tickle his chin, quietly trying to ignore the fact he was murmuring at the other mech's nose. "I'm not gonna leave you with Megatron when he hurt you like this, I'll figure something out." Bee had a wild thought that had to be voiced, something they had already been doing for a while with every escapade. "If you don't trust team prime we could hide out in warehouses scattered around the woods, we've already been doing that."

He wasn't expecting the ghostly murmur of his mates voice to creep under his plating, soft words spoken against his chin guard that left his protoform prickling like it was cold. "And what if he finds us? What then?"

The rage bled away as reality settled like mournful silt in a lake, dark and cold as he realized who exactly he had just made enemies with. This was the leader of the decepticons, terrible tyrant who took the beaten and broken and left them worse than when he found them. He pit mechs against each other not unlike the gladiator pits that raised him, the results yielding vicious bots who preyed on the weak and feared the strong. He was the strongest so of course the rest feared him, a lump in his intake as his optics flitted back to the spiderweb of cracks decorating that obsidian cockpit. Rage simmering and drowning in waves as he noted some weak things deserved mercy, especially when they hadn't developed a frame to fight back in. 

He didn't want to think about the suffering both sparks were going through right now, or how deep the fear for Megatron was in blitzwing's case. How many times had he demonstrated how much more powerful he was than the triple changer, even Bee knew words could only work so well on him. It would never excuse this though, he would go offline before letting that awful mech near his mate again. "He won't! Don't you have a signal dampaner? We can't pick up your signal using teletran one so he won't either, he wouldn't comb the whole woods himself and if he did-" 

Bee let out an audiable gasp as his forehead bloomed with heat, friction igniting the burning pain as a shrieking voice cackled in his audials. "So you want to stick me in someplace all alone and visit me like a cute little pet?" He felt firm servos grasp his rounded shoulders so he couldn't pull away, that crackling voice hissing with venom. "Keep your little freak tucked away while the DJD comes over for a vacation? My leige doesn't need to join in on the fun, he has Tarn but if he's too far he can wiggle my T-cog in Lockdown's face. They get to hunt down the little traitor and get a two for one special! Come now love don't say such crazy things."

He had to resist the urge to cover his audials as Blitzwing's random face took over, often forgetting the concept of volume control even when face to face with a bot (quite literally). Bee had jerked his hands away to keep them from getting ripped off so he resettled them on the handles of Blitzwing's helm, that spot tended to stay unchanged during the larger mech's intense mood swings. He was at a momentary loss for words, not quite expecting the sudden animosity or where it was coming from. He felt a lump form in his intake as he shook his head, frustration building as Blitzwing nodded defiantly.

He pulled his head away to glare at the bigger bot, struggling to find the right words to calm the both of them down. Blitzwing beat him to it as he pulled the minibot close, sharp dermas flush with the side of a small canary helm. "You get off on this don't you little bug, watch as the big bad decepticon falls? You always knew how to strike me out of the sky, well the grounds getting closer love!" Bee had to ignore how the dangerous buzz of his voice lite up his sensory net, the situation too inappropriate no matter how inviting he found the larger mechs voice right against his audial. Trying to take a step back to face his mate was followed with the creak of heavy legs bending to follow him, crimson grin firmly locked against his audial.

"Blitzy come on, don't be like this! Where is this coming from?" Bee was trying not to shout but he had a mech that was at least forty tonnes directly over top him now, he knew the situation was getting a bit perilous but he didn't want to push the larger mech away. He had to prove he was serious, even if it meant letting the angry warframe lash out at him, he couldn't contradict himself by trying to bolt and run. "I'm not gonna leave you in some warehouse alone! I'm sorry I don't have a whole lot planned, this is still new and I wasn't expecting... I mean look at yourself! I don't want you there if it means this!"

Bee cringed at his own words, or maybe it was the increasing pressure on his shoulder guards that made his tires hiss. Slag slag slag he didn't mean to word it like that, he wasn't defusing his mates temper like he though he was. He could feel Blitzwing's Cheshire grin against his plating, a troubling fact becoming apparent that his helm could probably fit in his intake. "Oooohhhohoho how do I look? Pitiful? Disgusting? Broken? Oh I know maybe all three?! Did you plan on that?" The manic glee in the triple changers voice started to worry Bee, shaking his helm despite the sharp dermas pressed against it. 

"No! Calm down! I just- it hurts seeing you like this-" Calm down often had the opposite effect on Blitzwing, the error slow to realize. Bumblebee may as well have laid down in an open grave.

Beige thighs settled on either side of bee and he found himself completely surrounded by forty tonnes of angry carrier, the harsh grip on his shoulders dragging the both of them to the cold ground. Grass tickled their legs and was stirred by the angry flicks of purple wings, the darkness warping them into a darker hue with lavender dancing along the sharp planes of them. Bee watched them angrily rise and fall like he was trying to decipher some pattern, pain lancing through his arms that he bitterly ignored.

The side of his helm ignited with heat and he cringed, dimming his audials just in case. The cautious act ended up saving his audial from exploding in his helm, the angry deep voice of Blitzwing's red face shaking both their frames. "I'm sorry am I being irrational!? You aren't the one loosing the faction you fought a whole war with! A faction that only accepts you because they know, they're all You have! You won't be the one hunted down by the DJD or torn apart by lockdown. In fact you lose nothing!" He tried to follow everything the angry warbuild was saying, but his processor was overclocked as it pinged him warning after warning his arms were about to pop. 

"Blitzwing! Please that's not true!" Bumblebee clung to the words of his angry rant, trying to decipher what that meant. His shoulders were throbbing in pain and he needed to calm the big mech down, considering how his arms weren't being ripped off he doubted the death grip was to intentionally hurt him. 

"NO! It is true, do not lie to me! Do you have a plan? My signal dampener does not extend to you or the little one feasting on MY energy. So what will you do with me, where will you stick me that cannot be found? How do I know your little autobot friends will not make off with my sparkling after y-you leave me to rot in some crumbling building!" Bee's optics shot open wide, the waver in the deep voice not escaping the mini bot. He tried to speak but his vox shorted out, he wasn't going to leave him to rust in some cave. He wasn't going to abandon him with this, his mind churning with the realization that for a month Blitzwing thought he was alone, he was probably still thinking that.

"I gave everything to my cause, my life, my frame, even my processor. I have been loyal to a fault and- and.." Suddenly the face against his helm pulled away and spared him the burning heat, as his searing breath was replaced with a cold whisper he barely picked up. "Now I can't even have this... I'm loosing everything but no matter how hard I try, I feel like i'm still falling." Bee was venting hard as he sat there listening, cringing at the pain radiating from his shoulders and causing massive ebony hands to shift around and grasp his back instead. He hoped his torso wouldn't get crushed but flung the idea to the furthest corner of his mind, his mate seemed to be burnt out finally.

It took the mini bot a fair moment to absorb everything Blitzwing said, and even longer to figure out what to say. Bumblebee didn't mind the giant mech resting on his lap, even though he should have been concerned about being crushed. The frozen servos on his back said otherwise, one gingerly creeping up to test a thumb against a dented shoulder guard. A shuddering ex vent above him tickled the top of his helm, the motion spurring Bee to say something like it was reawakening the gears in his helm.

"I'd be loosing you." When did Bee sound so small, so scared? He wanted to conjure that confidence that normally boomed from his chassis and strait out his intake, but it was curled up in his spark like it was afraid of the truth. He was face to face with an obsidian cockpit that didn't deserve the cracks winking in the light. His spark felt heavy as he pressed numb servos against it, absolutely hating the tremble resonating from it. "Are you scared I'm gonna dump you in the woods and just… forget about you? I would never, i'm sorry I don't have answers but I would never abandon you. I.." 

Regretful servos continued to lightly thumb as his shoulders, one hand shaking harder than the other upon the discovery of a deflated tire. In just the same way regretful servos thumbed the giant crack in the glass, although Bee's remained more obscure. He regretted not knowing what to do, being so small and unable to physically defend Blitzwing. He even regretted putting Blitzwing in a hard spot like this, but nothing could make him regret the dual spark beats just under his thumbs. His voice and spark wanted to scream his bleeding emotions but he settled for the soft whisper escaping his exhausted frame. "Can I see it? Pretty please may I see our mini us?" 

Blitzwing's optic became a full red moon at the request, not expecting it in the aftermath of a fight, especially after hurting the mini bot. Sometimes he could get so angry it consumed him, his hands clenching and voice growing harsher and more accented but now shame was wafting off his cooling frame. He felt like an idiot, he hurt his tiny mate and he still wasn't leaving, wasn't going to throw him away and the concept was so foreign it scared him. 

Hope fluttered painfully in his spark chamber and suffocated his spark, gasping in surprise when it was exposed to the cold night air like it was vying for more space to stretch its wings. His wings quivered and dropped to try and trap more heat against his frame, red light bathing over bumblebee's shivering frame. The cold mature night faded into the background, cicadas drumming a tune that made the night endless as the moment belong to the pair and only them. All Blitzwing could see was careful servos reaching into his chassis before pausing when his fingertips brushed the lip of his spark chamber. 

Bumblebee's optics reflected a sickly violet color from the dual colors intermingling, the deafening chorus of dying cicadas making his eyes glow with an intensity as everything else ceased existing. Blitzwing spark was in pain ever sense the beating and now he feared his mate would see the worst before even he could, obsidian servos still gripping the mini bot like a lifeline. "Is it okay?" Spoken like a fevered prayer causing those sickly optics to flit up. Blitzwing had never cared for the color red but now he was beginning to despise the color, hated the smoldering burn of his leaders optics and the ghastly light his own spark produced; the color of cruelty that turned soft blue optics a poisonous color.

Bee had seen the tiny spark, amazed it was alive but worried at its state. Like a lazy planet it orbited blitzwing's own spark with little oomph, drifting up and down in a heavy gait like it was limping. Pressing his cheek against one split half of broken cockpit he ignored the bite of crooked glass to observe the brave bitlit, defiant in the face of death. His optics burning in admiration he watched it and noticed it had an uneven lump. It looked like a lopsided heart, the heavy portion weighing the lighter half in its zig-zaging orbit.

"It's alive!.. It's not hiding, it's just running laps? What does that mean? The little guy energetic?" Bee mused as he watched a blue pulse emit from the tiny red spark, catching the minibot off guard. His engines rumbled softly as servos caressed his aching shoulders, the tremble resonating from them waning. Bee wanted to reach out to help the little spark float on its way, brushing against it's carriers spark caused it to somersault lazily around before it could correct itself. The more he watched it the more he loved the personality packed firefly, like watching a scuffed up racer get back on the track to run laps and leap over obstacles. He wanted to be angry that it had been hurt but the slow rhythmic thumps of Blitzwing's own spark lulled him into a trance, and the little thing deserved the love it had been deprived of.

Blitzwing didn't hold the same sentiment, but watching the docile state his tiny mate fell into had him quickly following suit. He wanted to collapse somewhere but he was still seated on Bee's most likely dented lap. Unless he wanted to break the tender moment he left their position be, seeking comfort from that apprassing gaze. "It's most likely stressed, it hurts." An honest answer, one that had Bee scrunching his face in thought.

"I think it's fighting, little guy is definitely a fighter. It does look a little funky though, it's heart shaped." That had Blitz more concerned, sparks should only ever be a sphere. 

"Heart shaped? What do you mean? Is it fading?" Bee observed the blue light flaring from the tiny red spark again and softly shook his head. The little thing was probably the size of a half dollar, so it wasn't close to fading.

"Nah don't panic Blitzy, little guy is looking kinda chunky. In fact it looks heavy, it keeps trying to drift down. One side is fatter than the other-" His commentary was cut off by wheeze as he was firmly squeezed, his glance up met with wide optics. "Blitzy I love you, but please no more crushing for today." Was all he could breathe out.

Blitzwing's expression softened as he let go, mumbling a sheepish apology, his em field pulsing with erratic energy. Bee didn't think he would survive anymore mood swings and the big bot was definitely anxious. He couldn't feel his legs at this point anymore but he didn't push the big guy off him yet, they could ride this out. "Wanna tell me what has your wing's perked?" Said wing's were self consciously lowered and Bee snuck a hand around his lithe waist to pet the base of one.

"Ah- it's just.. You said it was misshapen so I assumed it was fading but, it looks like a heart?" After receiving a nod he looked away, anxiety retreating as somehow the minibot always found a way to get his servos on his wings. "Well if that is true and it is lagging because of how heavy it is, instead of fading or trying to get reabsorbed.. It might.." His face bloomed with heat but his faceplate hadn't spun away, he snapped his chestplate shut and hugged his mate close.

Bumblebee surprise melted into a smirk upon realizing why as he looped both arms around Blitzwing's deceptively thin waist to massage the base of his wings. Rumbling purr shaking the mini bot as he waited patiently for his answer, skilled servos chased away endless cycles of anxiety. He felt a chin settle against his shoulder as he was completely surrounded yet again, but this time the triple changer was like melted putty in his servos. "It might try to split in half." He hummed like a sleepy turbo-cat, thumbs rubbing circles on the blank canvas of Bee's back. 

Bee didn't have the audacity to fiend shock, he was currently feeling up his mate in the same manner that helped make the first. He closed his optics as his servos stuttered, a quick vent from his nasal and he was back to tracing paths on lavender tinted wings. Twins. Splitting in half meant twins. If Bee had to choose between a dying spark and twins he would always choose the latter, still he had to admire the way primus set up the delivery. 

He scritched at the seams of the giant metal plate holding up those massive wings along with a heap of tension, feeling both melt to the ground as he mumbled sheepishly. "This is what I get for not being able to keep my hands to myself, what is it with you seekers and your wings." His insides glowed as a laugh sounded above him and caused his purring engine to sputter. 

"I apologize for finding your touch exquisite, not many have servos as skilled as yours. I.. You are okay with this?" Blitzwing's voice never lost it's affection, the word's lumbering as long sleepless night's began to catch up with the huge mech. Despite the fact he asked bee he felt like he was asking himself the same thing, maybe his wings were talking for him but this felt right. All he needed was a nice cozy nest to curl up in with his beloved little mini bot there to preen him every night. Hope was a thing with wings and so was he, maybe that could be a reality. Maybe being tucked away in some dark cozy warehouse wouldn't be so bad if he had a fluffy nest to curl into, warm nests went perfect with cold nights. 

"Not according to plan, but I'll manage. I dunno what a trine is but I heard it's triplets, and most seekers have them. I guess i'm lucky you aren't having a whole litter." Bee joked before he shifted around as Blitzwing began to lean to one side, slipping quickly out from under the big bot to scoot up to where his shoulders were, finding a helm in his lap and a massive arm around his waist. He switched his attention to the base of two cannons, rubbing the base of them and tracing the thick seam where wing struts met back. 

"Don't leave.." Was sadly mumbled against his chassis and Bee pressed a chaste kiss to the helm buried against his side. "I won't, you haven't been sleeping huh? That's not good for you or our- wait lemme count. Two sparklings?" Bee felt a small surge of victory when his jest received no answer, just the gentle hum of a purring engine mingling with the song of cicadas. He let his servos work for him as his mind wandered, smirk tugging his faceplates. 

He didn't like to get grabby for wings unless he was prepared to get pounced on by a giant affectionate seeker, even accidental grabs could make the triple changer shudder. But this was no accident, having Blitzwing pass out here was a much better option than letting him go back to wherever his primus forsaken base was. Bee felt a bit devious in using his wings against him, but he deserved this; a moment of peace where he could at least sleep. He still didn't know what he was going to do about his own faction, but he knew that Megatron didn't deserve this long neglected bot. He was still reeling from Blitzwing spilling his spark out over all he did for his cause, it made him sick to think about it. 

He still didn't know how he would evade The warlord, but he knew his prize was cybertron. He would leave earth eventually, and the uncharted planet would continue to exist undisturbed. His chin tilted up as he gazed at the starry night sky, a billion eyed beast staring back down at him. He could see the constellations that pointed to cybertron, the actual star system too far to see with the naked optic. Thinking about that distant planet made his spark hurt in a way similar to touching a deep wound, gaze flitting down when sleepy mumbling sounded below him. 

His spark settled as he began to rub the glassy nubs that resembled goggles atop blitzwing's helm, resolution building as his spark told him his home was here. It wasn't out there in the stars where people looked down at him as an elite guard failure, even if he hadn't met Blitzwing he still loved earth. He loved the people and the crazy things on it, how they believed you could be what you wanted, not what you were built for. He still cared for team prime, but if they wanted to go back to the place that threw them out like outdated hardware, he didn't think he could go with them.

Besides he was needed here, he had to sit vigil for the night in case angry red optics glowed from the depths of the forest. He had just deceived a decepticon from going back home, now he was making sure he got a goodnight's sleep. They could find a warehouse in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have no clue how to structure arguments and how to realistically have characters focus on what the major problem is and then work to a goal, I just let my hand possess me. I plan something and then my hand writes something else. I know I have some graphic tags already BUT let me know if y'all would ever wanna see smut in this fic? I had to stop myself from writing it cause I don't want invested people getting angry I didn't tag it in the first place sense I tag as the chapters come out, i never really know what i'm planning I just have a skeleton plot.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y'all are so patient to me and that means the world, I thought I kinda scuffed chapter 3 because it felt so rushed, but I think this chapter might offer more. Next chapter ima try to pick up the pace and involve camping =^) I'm a very slow writer and I apologize. 
> 
> The spice is gonna be slow to get to, but i'm happy to see readers wanna see it for the most part!
> 
> I also had some musical inspiration and I wanted to link some music that helped me vibe into these chapters. (These songs saved my ass *cough*)
> 
> Million dollar houses - Pierce the Veil  
Arsonists lullaby - Hozier  
Endless Nights - Diary or Dreams

Bumblebee awakens as the night becomes day, having slept soundly yet not at all. His paint holds a tackiness to it as dew drips off of him, the moisture escaping downward into the soft grass and fragrant soil. The emerald green trees bow their crowns around him like they hadn't been plotting to burst from the ground and devour him last night, spinning spots of light filtering between them like discarded halos. The grass is no longer silver, but instead it ripples like living beams of sunlight that nearly matches his armor. 

He rolls his shoulders with a few pronounced pops, a couple of the dents in them correcting themselves. One of his wheels is still pitifully deflated and he is already dreading the trip back to repair it. He hates it when ratchet has to patch him up and scold him simultaneously, the older bot will pry and ask how he got hurt and where he was. He hates being interrogated, it's happened a few times and it's bound to happen more despite the fact the mini bot is only mini in stature. He's a grown bot, he can do what he wants without checking out like he's some angsty teen. He moves to cross his arms with an indignant huff, irony lost on him, when the circuits in his processor fire off like gunshots.

His cyan optics light up as he glances down, realizing something. No. Someone is still curled in the basket of his legs, massive ebony arms looped around his waist like they're latched onto a lifeline. Tight enough to keep him there but not enough to crinkle his frame into something unrecognizable.

A powder blue face is peeking up from his lap, features screwed up in distress as they fight off foes unseen. While the sleep looks deep it also looks painful, with how the triple changer is gritting his teeth and flexing his claws. He can't fathom how the bigger mech has managed to sleep alone, not including last night of course. Bee considers it for a moment but quickly banishes the thoughts for later, guilt bubbling between the cracks of those stray thoughts. He's here now and sure maybe he fell asleep during his watch cycle, Blitzwing was a warm bot that made sleep hard to resist, but he had snuck a servo under the beige mech's helm and switched off his comms. With no comm to trace and his signal dampaner active no rabid decepticon would drop from the sky.

Bumblebee lets out a soft sigh as he reaches out to smooth his palm along a beige helm, the occasional fevered murmur slowly morphing into soft hums. He smooths his digits against heated plating like he can smooth out a month of worry from them. Foggy grey welds wink up at him mischievously, the blue in his optics dulling like a storm swallowing the sky. Blitzwing had mentioned being spared by his leader the previous night, the phrase dripping with insidious manipulation as Blitzy had actually believed that. The minibot stalls before gathering his resolve. Continuing the exploration of his servos he starts from the top and works his way down, taking the proper time to access the damage done to his mate. 

It's a beautiful morning with how the sun is soaking into their plating like it owes them for last night. It's a shame it reveals every secret last night held, casting an awful clarity to the situation that only night is skilled in hiding. He wants to admire the slopes and curves of Blitzwing's frame in the soft morning light, lose himself as his servos trace patterns against a face like a delicate robins egg. But soft grey scars zig zag over every plane of plating that whisper secrets of the hurt they felt, and they murmur heartlessly at the mini bot. He traces each silver weld within reach with a gentle thumb, optics blank as he catalogues every mark he can reach.

The closest marks are four symmetrical scars that roll down each side of Blitzwing's helm, his fingers pressing against each one at once. They're thin and strait, nearly invisible if not for the grotesque welding slipping outside the scars like a child's drawing. The storm in his optics crackles as things click into place when he traces them down, the angle not quite right because they came down from an inward angle. 

He had clawed at his own helm like something terrible had been trapped underneath. Bumblebee wants to ask why but his spark flutters nervously, the answer a daunting thing that looms over him and he doesn't want to know its name. He tears his gaze away and moves on.

The sun lights up more silver rivers marring beige and purple plating, the sun casting a lightshow just for him. A few more welds peek around the bend of his chassis, a few foggy bruises coat his back like camo. Something brightly colored immediately catches his eye, vents stalling sharply as something unexpectedly possessive and dark wrecks havoc in his tiny chassis. A bright pink scab that looks more like mashed cake than a scab is bunched around where a wing joint fits into the back of a chassis, dried rivets run like thin tears down the purple wing. If the butchered scab from the once dislocated wing had him speechless then the dented impression of a hand print just below it had him mute and vibrating. He thinks his optics must have turned as crimson as his mates because that's the only color he's seeing.

Bumblebee knew all dents would pop back into place with time, but that one particular dent seemed to leer at him. The sight of the ugly scrunch of metal marring an otherwise perfect purple wing had him tasting something metallic and foul. He tore his gaze away before he could get too worked up over it, he knew he was a petty and stubborn bot but he wasn't used to these deeper feelings. And that hand print that spoke of pain inflicted on such a sacred spot for any seeker, one that only Blitzwing let him touch, and that provoked some dark new feelings in the small bot. 

He looked down at his still servos a moment harshly venting before resuming his light ministrations, the dark constricting anger mellowing out until it was just a firm protectiveness. He needed to keep calm, last thing he or Bliztwing needed was for him to flip his shit and throw himself at the warlord in the untimely event he showed up. They weren't in the clear and he couldn't let his emotions cost them their lives. The rising sun continued it's slow crawl up the sky, Bee's mood struggling to lift with it.

The callous brute was probably looking for his missing triple changer right about now, but he wasn't going to find him. Bee may be small and weak, but he could be ruthlessly cunning on rare occasions. The thought of Megatron flipping his base upside down left a smug feeling behind, let him have his tantrum. He had snatched one of his top officers and some petty little party of him was ecstatic, the rest of him absolute in that he would take much better care of him than the decepticons ever would. Bumblebee silently vowed to hide and care for the sleeping decepticon, his sire coding humming in approval.

With his back to the sun Bee was able to shield Blitzwing's face from it's light for a short while, letting him sleep in. He was lost in thought as he curled protectively over his mate's damaged helm, convincing the con to take shelter in a warehouse was going to be hard. He was a smooth talker at best but convincing a con to go rogue would be a new challenge he'd never succeeded in before. Of course all his previous attempts were lightly mentioned and immediately dropped when the large mech grew irritated, but this was different. Blitzwing was right in a sense, he'd be losing everything he worked for and possibly be hunted down simply for existing as an ex con. 

Bumblebee pauses as he wonders if he should ask who the DJD are, the acronym has been hissed with such fear the night before. They couldn't be worse then Megatron though, he was the baddest of the bad, so maybe they were just a special unit or team. Of what the minibot couldn't be sure, but Lockdown was mentioned as an alternative so bounty hunters wasn't a hard guess. Bee blew out a frustrated vent, they wouldn't travel the galaxy for one bot would they? If they did they'd have to find earth, and it was currently uncharted. But if they did arrive? Gears and cogs churned like racecar tires in the mini bot's helm.

Eventually as time trickled steadily past the sun crept over Bumblebee and perched above his dented shoulder, the light rousing the larger mech. Golden beams from the midday sun cascaded over his shoulder and trickled into the optic waxing into a crimson crescent moon, dyed a soft hue of pink as the light washed out the color. 

**

Blitzwing's optic flitted open quietly, gazing through his sleepy haze to stare questioningly up from his warm spot. His processor was slogging a mile a minute as a heavy fatigue engulfed his mind, he didn't know where he was or how he got there. He wants to panic but he's low on fuel, everything hurts, and he's too tired to care. Besides he can feel digit tips tracing patterns on his helm, their hypnotizing rhythm drawing out fever cloaked nightmares and banishing them. He resets his optic but it refuses to focus, his monocle can barely pick apart color and shapes so it cycles shut. His hud flickers and begins to draw forth shapes but their distorted beyond recognition, a few warnings blink with crimson clarity that forced recharge might be necessary. 

Blitzwing tries to fight off the need to sleep but it clings heavy to him, drags him so far down he thinks he's sinking. Into the ground or darkness itself he can't be sure, but before either can claim him a reedy whine escapes his pleading intake.

A soft shush is followed by a chill thumb brushing along his cheek and it leaves his optic fluttering, blinding light begins to pull away from a blurry background. Glowing servos hold him up, pull his helm above the dank dirt and darkness that wants to swallow him alive. The servos are attached to a blindingly gold blur and his hud can't make sense of it, so it simply states it is earth's sun he's staring at. He lacks the energy to argue with his malfunctioning HUD so he simply decides 'yes the sun decided to plop down from the sky and grow a pair of wonderfully kind arms' because he's had crazier thoughts before.

He quickly finds he doesn't mind, not when it's tracing patterns on his metal cheek with careful servos, holding him like he's actually something that's delicate and precious. It must have held him all night, with how cold and wrong he feels pulling away from it. This being that glows like the sun turns it's head to look down at him and his chassis rumbles. Optics that speak of safety and clear sky's are watching him and they look so attentive, so merciful, and yet so, so worried, he lets his helm fall gently back down. He doesn't want them to be worried, but he knows why they are.

His body aches terribly, wing pulsing with pain every now and then along with every other shabby weld. He feels broken and vulnerable, doesn't want the darkness lurking in all it's caves to come out and finish him off but it's daytime now, it should stay put. Besides the suns holding him, night can't exist with it about, so he curls his arms tight enough to squeeze and lets his optic fall closed. Wants to tell it that he's safe with it around but he owes too much already, his broken body needs sleep, his fractured mind needs sleep. Somewhere deep in his chassis two tiny things brush against his hurting spark and they crave the sleep too. He slips back into oblivion.

**

When Blitzwing comes to his thoughts are considerably more coherent, the sun deity that was holding him is gone, but an angry little mini bot is sitting in its place. He unravels his arms from around Bumblebee just as he finishes snapping at whoever he was commed by, worried cyan optics trained back on him. He meets them for a moment, air warm and pleasantly heavy, like a blanket is draped over the landscape. He doesn't remember how they got here or why they are, but the warm air settles over him and pleasantly smothers him.

Sleep still fogs his mind but his processor is fit to burst into a smoking plume if he gets anymore, in fact he's slept so much he has a migraine; still he's glad to have woken to the sight of Bee. His seeker coding eagerly notices the mini bot was watching him sleep, it has him pulling himself forward and kissing at whatever he can reach. Affection blooms in his chassis and possesses his frame, it takes a moment to escape its soft grasp to properly greet Bumblebee with slurred mumbles. "Ah- Good Morning, did I oversleep?" Something important seems to hover overhead but he can't seem to figure it out or even care.

A snicker followed by a cool kiss to his helm breaks the sweltering storm of a migraine into something less, an unexpected trill escaping him. Bumblebee pauses at the sound, it's a high pitched wavering sound muffled in the back of the triple changers intake, unknown to him it's a sound all seekers can make. Blitzwing is a bit startled himself, normally he can resist his more animalistic seeker coding. He finds the effort too great a task when more cold kisses touch his burning helm, the soft warble building up in his throat again. He has to duck his head away and uses the momentum to roll onto his side, optic narrowing to a slit as he feels an odd sense of betrayal; more directed at himself than Bumblebee.

"Good morning to you too, could you always to that? Or are you just happy to see me?" He motions to his own throat with a gesture of his hands, his tone is teasing but his optics hold a curious intensity to them. "Yeah you slept a while, looks good on you." He adds with a little wink and Blitzwing drunkenly decides he wants to wipe that smirk off his face with his glossa. 

He can't break free from the thick mist that's trapped under his helm but recharging promises more nightmares and disorientation, yet he finds he can fight it off this time. Carefully he pulls himself up into a hunched sitting position, an odd aching sensation overwhelming his frame.

His wings flick with annoyance as he notices his tiny obnoxious mate, grabby hands already reaching out for him. "How do you never tire of touching me? Were you feeling me up while I slept naughty bug?" He doesn't mean to sound harsh but irritation is quickly drawn from his earlier embarrassment. "Yes I could always make that… sound, seekers are prone to making a lot of weird sounds. I don't make 'happy to see you sounds' thank you."

Bee seemed to catch onto his defensive tone, dropping his servos into his lap in a way that makes Blitzwing feel bad for shutting him down. If there's one thing he's good at though it's recovering, attitude popping back up like it fell on a spring. "Wait are you embarrassed? Aww no those are cute sounds, you make cute sounds! Also no I wasn't crawling all over you, I was kinda pinned under you. Try not to sound too disappointed."

The triple changer feels his face plates heat up fiercely before swapping to his burning crimson face, glowering at the tiny bot teasing him. He wants to shout but the migraine teeters closer, he settles with a rumbling growl "I am not cute, bug! I'm not embarrassed because I don't make cute, weird noises!" 

The expression on the tiny brazen bot says 'yeah I don't believe that' as he shimmy's closer, cool optics staring him down like he's hungry. The normal urge to act aggressively to spook anybody taunting him never surfaces, the craving to lash out is subdued by shimmering blue. Even in his irritable state he finds himself fostering a curiosity. How far is this bold little bot going to go to get under his plating, the thought is almost enticing and it certainly does NOT send a thrill up his spinal column. 

It always perplexed Blitzwing how Bumblebee never feared any of his faces, would never shy away. Any animosity would morph into admiration and with how a canary servo is 'walking' up the length of his thigh his angry face is sporting a burning blush. Each face has their own core emotion but teasing servos and smoothly spoken lines always manage to coax something more from him. He grits his denta as he turns his helm away, trying to hide the fierce red burning to life under dusty freckles. 

"Who were you talking to?" He grinds out instead because a specific servo on his thigh is burning a path up it, trying to divert attention away from his squirming frame. He wants to snatch that servo off and bite into the palm of it, enough to hurt but not enough to damage. Restraint is a rare emotion from him entirely, yet Bumblebee always has him holding back, always eagerly waiting. 

"Ugh my team, they're being obnoxious. Ratchet wants to know where I am, I told him I took a surprise day off to take care of some personal stuff. Don't worry they won't bother us, they dunno where we are." The servo creeping up his plush thigh halts it's ascent, the weight of it would be comforting but the way he says that last bit sticks with him. Something rings an alarm in his helm, it's trying to make sense of these comforting touches, soft words and warm colors. Blitzwing can't figure it out, thoughts stuttering as talented servos move and chase away the bad thoughts.

A thumb rubs lazy circles against his scorching plating and he has to restrain himself from yanking it to the junction of his thighs. His processor is floating away someplace hazy as the cogs and gears in his helm begins to putter out smoke, he's forgetting something important. Glowing optics lighting up his visor like a flashing warning sign he locks his sight back on Bumblebee, who's plating is shifting between gold and orange like it can't decide which color it wants to be. The tiny bot is still staring at him like he doesn't know how to stop, but he glances past his alluring gaze to the side of his helm. Fighting his cooling fans to remain off is becoming an uphill battle, especially with everything being a heavy warm color save for cool blue optics. They promise a relief he doesn't think he has the willpower to resist. 

Desperately he clutches at the dark, trying to find the answer to a question he has yet to find himself. The side of a canary helm holds it, a massive servo reaching out and cupping the side of his 'clue' as he lets out a labored vent. The migraine is creeping back and it begs him to just let go, get lost in cold blue while his frame burns to cinders under gifted servos. 

"Hey, you alright there Blitzy?" Bumblebee says in a voice that's too soft, too careful. His honeybee too mindful of the tone and setting, wearing it like a calming aura. The servo on his thigh pulls away to rest on his cracked cockpit, the glass squeaking in sharp protest. His face snaps back to blue with a solid crack, wax wings melting off to leave him plunging into the sea.

A sublime realization rushes over him and it purges the short lived solace with wicked haste.

He shouldn't BE here!

Blitzwing looks to the sky as the past two days catch him in his descent, smashing against him so suddenly he's left reeling. The sun is red and low in the sky, a bruised purple bleeding from the farthest horizon. Tremors begin to wrack his frame and awaken the tiny startled sparks nestled against his own panicked one, they immediately flutter in terror at what has their carrier so horrified. They wordlessly ask 'what's wrong?' 

When he moves to check his chronometer his vents betray him, shuttering with a misplaced fragility as muted messages sit unperturbed in the corner of his HUD. His chronometer pips up that it's currently 6:53 but he pays it no mind, 17 unread messages and 5 missed comms leer ominously at him. He slowly reaches for his helm, feels the dial of his audial and finds it's switched to a muted setting. The sun is drowning beyond the horizon, hazy red trailing after.

A hazy red optic trails down to see the indecisive color of his mate's armor has finally settled on mauve. It's a strange color, the sun must have sucked all the yellow from the world and was taking it with it. He could feel the night air advancing, unrelenting waves lap at his back and promise to drag him under. His frame still shivers but he isn't cold, it's his voice that is. "What did you do?"

"What are you talking about? Is everything all-"

"My comm's were turned off." He can't help but let the accusation seep from his tone.

Bumblebee withdraws and something settles across his faceplates, something new and fierce. A wild gale swirls in his gaze and it peers just beyond the giant mech. "Okay. Alright, you got me. I turned them off." 

He wasn't expecting such unfilter honesty, nor the lack of apology in the little bot's tone. His own vox twists as his creeping distress slips under his missile housing and settles on his shoulders. "You… turned them off? Why?" 

Bumblebee still has his gaze locked on some distant unseen entity, it almost has Blitzwing whirling around to check out what he's staring at, but the mini bot looks calm. He's searching the smaller bot for any kind of response, any inclination as to why he acted recklessly when he notices the slight tremors. The mini bot suddenly doesn't look calm anymore, that isn't the right word. He looks restrained, his voice is tight. "You needed the sleep."

"That's not why, don't lie to me Bee." His own voice wavers but he holds his ground, the abhorrent red notifications demand it from him. His frame begins to churn to life as his old loyalty rekindles, optic burning into the tiny bot. "Y-you! You have no idea what you've done, the wrath you've just invoked and from my Liege!" 

"Doesn't matter if slag-for-brains gets mad, cause you're not going back." The sterness of his words halt all train of thought, intake falling open slightly. He can't be serious. The minibot still won't look at him with the shadow of a storm glazed over his optics. Aside from the gritting of denta he's stiff. 

"What?" He breathes, because his exuberant Bumblebee is gone, radiance sucked under the lip of the skyline. Something cold slithers around his tanks, frame rattling as it reacts to control being taken from him yet again. Frame shifting uneasily as his world crumbles from around him.

His face ignites with fury, now a bright red that's burning to life. He will not be controlled, this face doesn't know the meaning of the word, can only speak in wild unhindered passion. The restraint normally reserved just for his little golden mate is retreating from the warpath his spark demands. It sets its sails and rows defiantly onward, metaphoric Gjallarhorn blaring and all. He grits his large fanged denta as his vox timbers low in warning. "My allegiance is not for you to decide BUG!"

His wrath coos in contempt at the way the small bot flinches at the name, a grimace carves it's way across his gray faceplates. The mini bots voice descends into a more somber tone, like the small words could hold a candle to the raging inferno that was Blitzwing. "This isn't about allegiance, not anymore. I'm not asking you to join anyone, I won't force you to do that."

"But you will force me to leave? Become a branded traitor so I can be hunted for sport?" Bumblebee's words only irk him further, the way the mini bot thinks he can decide what's best for him. His field flies out to smother his surroundings, the burning force of it crackles with embers. The grass curls away in an offended wilting motion, heat hazing around him in a wrathful bubble.

Cloud filled optics turn down as the writhing grass greets their view, burning blades withering to ember entwined soot. The white hot anger radiating from the triple changers field nearly has Bumblebee joining them, but it's the way it burns bitter with betrayal that hurts him more. Twilight dusted digits fiddle with each other in an attempt to sort out his thoughts as though the tangled threads of his mind are between them, tiny frame heavy as he tries to sort out his words. "Aren't we already traitors? If what we have isn't right, I don't want to be right!" 

The minibot squeezes his digits closed and compresses his being between them, before releasing his palms up in a peaceful gesture. "Look I'm sorry, I know i'm a grade A aft hat who kinda tricked you into sleeping in the whole night and day. I knew your leader was gonna throw a fit, so I turned your comms off. But I would do it again, because even if you won't forgive me for it I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to you. He already hurt you, you could've miscarried. Slag you could've died! I hate that I'm too small and weak to actually protect you, but I'm doing the best I can. And all I can do is take you away from that."

Blitzwing is silent in his judgement, red hazed mind still snapping up the words ravenously. He hadn't liked the idea of running away the previous night and he still didn't like it now, much less how the slippery autobot had nearly deceived him into doing so. Yet he cannot help but hear the logic of his words. His face flips back to powder blue and despite the unstable emotions whirling around in his chassis he thinks on the matter. There really was no telling how far his Liege was willing to go to enact order in his ranks, or of what condition that would leave his already damaged frame. He was gazing at a sire who had already perceived himself as a failure in protecting his mate and unborn sparklings. 

The large mech can't think of what to say, the words dance just beyond his reach. His inner arbiter, while softened, still wants to hear more. Though it seems in his silence his mate had begun to wilt, much like the flowers that once existed before his EM field had quite literally withered them. Their sitting in a charred circle with only the brambles for company, their presence hidden under once lush grass.

Bumblebee looks crestfallen, murky mauve armor melting downward and Blitzwing is struck with the irrational fear that he too will melt beyond the hungry horizon. Glittering blues slant down with a muted anguish, they illuminate the twisted drab colored brambles curled across the ground. Drab colored horns drip forward, defeat slipping his helm down, his frame corpse-like in the grotesque lighting. He clasps his servos together slowly, dented and thorn shaped shoulder pauldrons shift. He looks like a heartbroken Hades, his pomegranate seed rejected. "Let me do right by you, please?"

"Okay." He breathes, because it's all he can say. His spark is screaming in his chassis as something unfurls its wings within him, something he had once thought small and weak, yet had grown into something massive without having ever asked a crumb from him. He reaches out a single clawed servo and grasps a single tiny servo before they finally succeed in crushing each other. The storm of grief retreats from once turbulent optics and they shine a blinding blue, locked on the larger mech. Blitzwing almost feels like he's flying, it coaxes him to stand because he swears something is pushing under his wings like they're being lifted by a thermal.

"Okay." His tiny mate repeats in a daze, like such a simple word has the power to rend him speechless. "Okay!" He repeats with more vigor, nodding his head as he is pulled up and away from the twisted embers and dark brambles that beg a somber frame to stay with them forever. Bumblebee begins to tug his large mate away from the crisp circle and into the swaying arms of the forest, violet light filtering between the trees.

Blitzwing can't help but glance back at the scorched circle he left behind, so out of place in such a vibrant field. He shed something significant today, left behind an older version of himself. Like the old him died in that little pit of soot, yet he can't find an ounce of regret. The creeping twilight twists the reaching brambles into broken links of chains, but before he can look too deep into it the remaining grass obscures it. A few more abhorrent red pings sound from his private messenger but he blocks the comm frequency without a second thought, optic blinking in surprise at this new boldness. 

An eager servo tugs him onward and he looks forward, silent as the stress slips off him in rolling waves. The trees don't sound so ominous now, their hushed chattering providing something for his processor to chew on rather than any stray self doubts. The forest embraces them and they walk onward through the underbrush, his little nymph of a mate weaving them expertly between the growth. The twilight departs and leaves behind spiraling strands of moonlight to dance through the canopy, small critters dart about but no paranoia follows their movements.

For a while Blitzwing allows himself to get lost in thought, quiet fluttering nips at his spark. A smile breaks from his normally reserved expression, his free servo reaching up to press against the cracked glass of his cockpit. His little double whammy is beginning to move after the stress had kept it pinned in the back of his spark chamber. The serene silence of the forest is broken by a timid voice below him, sky filled optics gazing up at him.

"You okay big guy?" Bumblebee stops them in a clearing, the familiar silhouette of the warehouse they had visited a few nights prior stands out against the night. He brushes a thumb against the smooth glass just as a tiny 'TACK' sounds against it, the noise startling him. Did it just… kick him? The action was more akin to a bird flying into a window, if he was being honest. The sparklings seem fine though, because they circle around in intertwined unison with the intention of doing it again.

"It just kicked me." Despite the deadpan tone he can't help the way he's grinning like a dolt. Did these little things have a screw loose? His optics glimmer owlishly as he cups the glass protectively, slightly reeling from the experience. A wild impulse urges him to tap back but he stuffs it down, he doesn't want to test the less than pristine glass nor his sparklings patience. His own spark throbs with hunger and begins pushing cravings into his processor, humming as his thoughts derail onto food now. 

A snicker accompanied by another gentle tug from his servo breaks him from his trance, Bumblebee dragging his bewildered mate inside the warehouse. "Do they do that often? Are they trying to pop out already?" 

Blitzwing has to crouch even when the entrance of the garage door is lifted, his frame trying to sink fully to the floor for more lethargic napping. His monocle tries to focus but the light in it flickers around the crack splitting it, still it manages to linger on a blanket in the corner and zeros in on it. He hums as he pulls away from Bee and stalks over to it, claws instinctively curling at the thought of shredding it. "No and no. It's going to be another month or two, depending on their frame types. We're just very hungry."

Bumblebee watches his giant mate practically pounce on the blanket, the poor thing never saw it coming. His giant black talons make short work of the gray wool and he begins to pull the too few pieces under him, the mini bot tries not to laugh at the sight. While he wants to ask more about how long the whole being sparked thing lasts, he decides it's best to leave Blitzwing to settle in and do his own thing for a sec. He turns to explore on his own, more blankets or maybe even fuel could pop up, they hadn't combed over this warehouse yet.

"Gimme a sec and I'll see if I can help with that, remember I got you a few circuit boards to snack on!" He calls as he walks off into another room, dust billowing from an old storage closet. He flashes his headlights on to scope out the room, a few disassembled robots make for a pleasant surprise. He glosses over them for a moment to hunt for anything used to fuel them, bent tins of gasoline and oil sit scattered along the floor. He kicks them aside with a huff before one coin shaped tin rolls and clanks against a few tall and solid tins. 

He prays It isn't gasoline, because from the dulled labels on them they must be old. It only lasts six months at best, pure oil would be a gift from primus himself. He reaches out for a can and dusts it off, the flecks of it clouding the air and clogging his vents. A short coughing fit later and the thick letters printed on the can read diesel, still tightly sealed and shinning like a godsend. There's two other identical cans and quick servos make short work of them, stuffing the extra two into his subspace.

He finally casts the half assembled robots a glance, strange farm equipment jutting from their bulbous bodies. Their tire treads are unspooled like tangled tape and they're stacked in a corner, rust creeps along their sickle and pitchfork shaped limbs. Despite their awful condition more pristine parts glimmer between cracked paneling, apparently even farmers relied on robots to help them out.

While the minibot wants to personally shake the hand of whatever hillbilly left these guys here to rot he decides to take his leave, slipping from one room to the next to discover more farm equipment. Unused bags of seeds, fertilizers, and even stacks of rotting hay greet him from each decrepit room. One room has decayed tools lining the shelves like a fully stocked armory, dirt still clinging to once sharp edges. He almost calls it and returns to Blitzwing when a stack of something soft looking catches his attention.

Stirrups and saddles are in the last room, strange metal rails sit near a garage door but he pays it no mind. No it's not the various grooming tools or brindles that catch his attention, it's the stack of folded cloth trapped under an impressive saddle long past its prime. He carefully moves it to the side and pulls up the first folded cloth, the wool showering him in dust that has him sputtering. Placing his prized can to the side he shakes it out before holding it out, a weird cloak shaped blanket dangles in front of him. He makes use of that strange rail from before and drapes the cloak over it, turning to uncover the rest.

It's just a stack of multicolored cloaks, all obscenely large for whatever human was using them. Unless farmer robots got cold he can't imagine what would use these things. He casts a skeptical glance at the dusty saddle that once sat vigil atop them before things click. These were horse tarps, they had to be (which explained their ovular shape). He didn't think horses got cold, prowl told him animals had fur for that kinda stuff. He shrugs it off and collects them all anyway, with not a horse in sight to stop him he figures they won't mind. 

With five soft wool (horse robbed) cloaks and his reclaimed diesel can he marches back to his waiting mate, pride burning warmly in his chassis. The thick wool blankets are heavy so he hefts them over one shoulder, the twisting sheets trail behind him and try to lick across the ground. Racing down the hallway shouldn't take so long but each slanted window makes time stretch longer than it really should, slanted beams of light lance across the hallway. He can't help glancing through one, silver light burning his optics as he tries to peer through foggy glass. Anxieties manifest behind the silver panes in the liquid forms of shadows draped across the trees, this place won't be safe for long. It's something he can feel, but he won't worry Blitzwing with it, the big mech needs to take it easy now that he has two sparklings to carry and a frame to heal.

He shakes his calm before marching forward, a million ideas run rampant in his mind as he devises plans to hide his mate. Somewhere north might be safer, he can convince Prowl and Sari that camping along Lake Huron could be fun. The stray thought of building someplace out there makes his frame buzz so hard he can't feel his limbs, optics darting as he rationalizes that he IS a construction bot. He leans on the wall as he slides back into the main room, the floor in this place is gifted in knocking the legs out from under mechs it seems. 

Blitzwing is curled up tightly in his tiny mess of cloth, the ribbons curl out from under his frame to flutter with his venting. The mech is fast asleep yet again. This could be the norm for however long it took his frame to heal, the minibot wasn't worried though. He had stolen all the time in the world just so his sparkmate could sleep, no angry warlords would be charging in and forcing him to run around for whatever forsaken reason. Bumblebee couldn't say he understood the decepticons or their inner workings, he just understood Blitzwing, and that was enough. 

He quietly stalks closer and begins to drape the cloaks one by one over the sleeping frame in front of him, one violet colored sheet gets draped along his injured wing, the poor thing shivering. Spotting crumbs of plastic near his helm he brushes them away and places his pilfered cans of fuel along the wall, then he begins to squeeze under the helm bent at an awkward angle. Using his dented lap as a pillow yet again he ignores the worried messages that continue pinging him. He's going to have to come up with some pretty convincing lies when he gets back, tonight will be the last night he spends with the triple changer before he has to go back.

Bumblebee knows deep in his spark he's a hypocrite, that Blitzwing was right in the unequal amount of loss both would experience. He did what he did because Megatron had hurt his beloved, but he knows he did so because of his relationship with Bee. Either he was catching on or the big mech was shirking his duties to see him, both made him feel responsible for the state Blitzwing was in. 

His mind falls into a state of half awareness, sacrificing sleep for the big mech because it's the least he can do. Instead he sorts out his thoughts while his servos begin the familiar ritual of smoothing out the beige metal under him, the action a synchronized therapy. He wants to be more, but he can't be. Not unless he takes this seriously, a harrowing thought slams down and sends his other little thoughts scattering. One that doesn't whisper or tug, one that jerks his attention forcefully as it asks the question in a bold tone 'are you ready to leave the autobots?'


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brain broken, I'm fighting the urge to write a prequel chapter explaining how these two numb nuts started a relationship, while also writing this one. I have fully accepted this fic is gonna be a long burning love child I spend too much time on, so maybe I'll muster willpower to write additional stuff outside this fic.
> 
> Anyway I adored y'all's feedback, I love reading comments even if I'm too skittish to reply a majority of the time. Anyway buckle ur seatbelts cause I have no idea what a canonical timeline is, me and the plot are throwing hands in a denny's parking lot.

There's a soft rustling in the darkness, the gentle trance Bumblebee was held in is softly lifted. A familiar ping sounds. The once muffled fatigue sinks in now, with its damp fingers and heavy arms that cling to his dented armor, every movement encumbered. He mumbles something incomprehensible as sluggish servos rub at his watering optics, they had decided on their own accord to try cementing his optics shut. He thwarts his frame's effort to sleep with a small rattle and more vicious face rubbing, peering down to check on his rousing mate. The mini bot can't help but stiffen as alertness finally slogges into his processor, he was back in the warehouse.

The inky abyss behind slightly frosted panes of glass agrees with his slightly off kilter chronometer, the time is about 3 AM. Right now he's sitting on the cold cement of that warehouse, simply existing in that strange inbetween of night and day. There's no sounds, no movements, just the mantle of darkness that lulls everything to a place of dreams. Bumblebee feels out of place, alert in the cold as his senses begin to unfurl and creep over his surroundings.

The only thing he hears is the gentle hum of vents cycling along with the hiss and release of steam from a warm chassis right beside him. Blitzwing's large frame is emitting heat like the cold is just a far fetched concept he can't be bothered with, what with how warm steam wafts from his side's and curls in plumes around his blankets. The night sits low and mournful, it's presence suffocating with a thick wrongness should it be disturbed. The minibot wants to curl right back over the helm in his lap, but another sharp ping sounds and the hollow timbre rouses the night.

He slumps forward with an exhaustion not borne from his own self administered sleep deprivation, tries to expel his built in vents as quietly as possible. He skims through the messages piled in his inbox, cringing as he reads through them like he's witnessing the five stages of grief through each comm link. At the end of the night each message asks the same thing of him, 'come home.' 

Blitzwing stirs as the ping sounds from Bumblebee's helm, so the smaller bot uses the opportunity to slip out from under him. He glances around for something to replace him but the darkness offers no respite, he looks to his mates face as he feels his helm move. The raven colored visage present resembles a void, but before the effect can turn nightmarish a red slit cuts across one cheek. An optic glances up at him as he takes the time to run a thumb just under it, a pleased hum breaking open the near invisible red lines of a maw. 

"Hi love. Can you roll over for me?" Bumblebee murmurs softly against the beige helm in front of him, his servos pushing a shoulder down so the larger mech knows which direction to roll. After a sleepy but affirmative giggle he rolls from his side to his front, one giant arm under his chin and the other making grabby motions for his mini bot. Instead of offering himself as a pillow again he pushes the second arm under the large mechs chin, a soft whine eases past sable colored denta.

"I know, I know." He whispers apologetically as he coaxes his mate to shift around and sink back down. He worries a lip between his denta as he considers his options, a final ping rings out it's verdict. He offers a chaste kiss to the beige helm in front of him, regret soaked words slinking up his intake. "Listen. I gotta get back, before they start looking for me. I found some fuel for you, it's gonna be right beside you when you wake. You hearing me?"

Gibberish tries to tumble out and present itself as a cohesive language, but guessing from the tone Blitzwing had heard him and was expressing some mild disappointment. The minibot sighed before patting a purple arm guard, his creeping chronometer urging him to wrap things up. He cast a final sweep over his surroundings and found nothing amiss among the cool concrete room, spark twisting as he pulled away. "I'll be back big guy, gotta scout up north remember?"

Something else spills from the thin red maw mumbling sleepily, something less gibberish and more like a soft roll of words. His audials unable to translate the words, only able to pick apart an L and a D from the phrase breathed out with the entirety of the triple changers vents. The syllables fall into something cohesive, a simple 1,2,3 pattern he could recognize anywhere. His spark flutters and he cracks a dizzy smile, can't taste the bitterness that bleeds from the short term abandonment. "I love you too, get some sleep."

He can't wait around to see the big mechs reaction, he needs to get moving. His fuel lines run hot and burn through his core as he forces himself away and past the garage door into the night. The feeling of wrongness only doubles out in the open. The sky is too small, trees too close, his footsteps too loud. Breathing deep the cold air that lays stagnant over the landscape he steels his mind, stretching his aching body like a runner before the track, then he's off. 

He crashes through the undergrowth in the direction of the nearest road, the moose sign in the faint distance peeks over the tree line like a monolith. He can't even see it, can only see antler shaped voids in the otherwise star filled sky. There is no wind, only the rush of air as he runs past every pine and bush that rustles with his presence. Eventually the muted squelch of mud and long decayed leaves morphs into the crunch of gravel, refinding the trail that feeds back onto the ever vacant highway. The dark bodies of trees pinch the gravel trail between them like angry teeth, like they demand he turn around and forget what he saw. The night possessive of itself, and he almost gives in.

Another ping sounds, overhead a solitary trill rings out with a chilling timbre in response. The minibot pushes on in the direction of the highway.

Cables tighten and stretch fluidly under his plating, the burn of fuel pumping between them keeping the cold at bay. Controlled vents harbor control over every aspect of him, count his strides and reign in his thoughts. Pedes hitting the trail with delightful shocks shooting up his legs, frame buzzing with an athletic charge. The spray of gravel behind him clitters into the woods like a boat carving a wake, startled animals cheering him on in a harrowing symphony. 

Like the sun racing across the other side of the planet he runs to break the skyline, chassis going numb as vents pull in cold air against his pounding fuel pump. The moon is merciful tonight, no clouds surround her with ill intent. She sits cold in the sky, arm outstretched to grace the ground with just enough light to see. With how the trees try to scramble along the trail with their eldritch roots, sat poised with a hunger to trip and ensnare, it's more than enough.

The trees suddenly thin out and then pull away to reveal the long stretch of highway sitting unperturbed before him. His vents burn and his pedes ache enough to leave his legs shaking, but it's that good kind of hurt. The kind you only get after a good run. He shakes off the chill of the woods and shifts into vehicle mode, tires craving their own burn as he sets up a new finish line. Making bets with his chronometer to see who can reach the warehouse first, him or time. He flicks his highbeams on and the darkness retreats.

Right in front of him a crooked tree leans precariously over the road, swaying softly as something weighs it down. Standing against the curled leaves and spindle shaped branches a full figure is nestled in them, form too solid to not be an animal. A giant owl sits perched on a twisted limb, weighing the branch down so it's brushing against the road like a rotting broom. Thin branches close off the road like a suspended gate with it's tiny warden sat hunched, a feathered golem.

The light from his high beams screw up the animal's reflective eyes, light flickering within its head. They blink the offending light clear before it's head swivels in a robotic fashion. It's eyes flash a hazardous red.

The minibot quickly combs his processor for information about birds, they can't be dangerous right? He peers at it with a scrutinizing look, recoiling when the darkness shifts and morphs it's features. It has a face, one so unlike any animal he's seen before, one with features that swirl and shift like it's conjuring a proper visage. Like this creature is taking the time to pick out what should go where. It's eyes though, they remain unchanged. They stare right through the dark glass of his windshield as it's face is rearranged in tandem to it's emotions.

His processor is digging through all its files for information only to provide snippets of useless facts. Birds fly, and while this one has wings they fluff up around it like a mane. They chirp, yet this one is silent and simply stares. They flitter and flutter around like they only exist in a constant state of joy, yet this one is motionless. It's eyes dark, yet burning bright with an intelligence he hadn't seen before in an animal. His plating suddenly feels too thin.

He wants to crawl away from its heavy gaze but he can't move, computing module alerting him it's just an organic but the rest of him doesn't believe that. Organics don't manifest from the night and hang overhead like an omen. They don't pick apart your spark and see every fear and flaw with an omniscient perception. 

The angry twin moons adorning its face glower at him. The reflective lenses on its eyes hungry and devouring the light as though they alone could snuff it out. Like when you check the time in the middle of the night and the glow of numbers make the room seem darker the longer you stare. His headlights begin struggling to beat back the dark fog that creeps gently closer.

It speaks. Voice deep yet shrill. Asking a question that doesn't want an answer, as none would satisfy it. The night condensed into this one being filled with a cold rage, wings spread and tilted down with its head bent in apathy. 

"Who" 

The question hangs heavy in the air, his spark jumps in its casing because when could animals speak? He doesn't understand the lunacy of the situation, doesn't second guess if he heard correctly. Doesn't ask his over-clocked processor for a diagnostic check, see if his sleepless state has caused him to hallucinate. It had declared the word with such clarity, commanded the night to become silent just to ask. 

"Who" 

He sinks down as it asks again, now trying to comprehend what this thing wants. It's gaze pierces his plating as it plays arbiter over his identity, his allegiance, of aspects of himself even he isn't aware of. Thin plating melting off his body in sheets just so this being can sort through what has it so dissatisfied. He's afraid it might not like what it sees.

"Who" 

It's voice, so unnatural, like it has multiple intertwining from within it's tiny chest. The thinned trees that part around the trail seem to call to him, pale grey gravel offering him an easy way out. He adjusts his mirror to glimpse it and the beast notices, one eye narrowing and his spark clenches. Mismatched eyes catch onto his intentions, the thin line of its beak contort into that of thin smile. 

Sire programming floods his frame as his processor shatters under the strain, turning the question 'who' over and over like some corrupted feedback loop. It doesn't matter, his spark understands, the question isn't for him. It can already tear his frame apart to see all the things no one else can see, it's toying with him. Who did he leave in the woods?

The giant owl smooths its feathers like it understands (when had it become so large?), when it's head swivels in a sharp 180. Bumblebee almost screams, but the lack of a second face on the back of it's head shatters the illusion of its face stealing facade. It flies away soundlessly, abiding by the night's rules as it dives in a graceful arc across the road. As though it was never there at all.

He wants so badly to crawl back into the waiting woods, frag the comms blowing up in his audial and just sit watch over his mate. Silence settles and he's surrounded by it, audials straining and only receiving the rush of fuel pumping through them. Spark hammering so hard he's dizzy he plans to do just that, were it not for the distant rumble fast approaching him. 

The fast growing spotlight has his senses prickling, his nerves fraying apart when he realizes he recognizes that engine. The low hum of a motorcycle fast approaching makes him want to bolt back into the woods, but he knows he's already been seen. In fact running back to the warehouse his mate was stowed in would only result in the pair being caught red-handed. His signal must have popped back online, away from the big mechs signal dampener. He was going to have to be more careful.

The motorcycle skids and drifts to a stop in front of him, kickstand stilted as prowl's vehicle mode idles. The night's trance broken by a smooth voice. "Fancy meeting you here, care to explain why you're out at this hour?"

The minibot is at a loss for words, he rolls forward and is mildly surprised at the limp his deflated tire has inflicted on him. The lies come second nature, they sound more sane than the truth. The false cheer he tries to push through his vox is chewed up and spat out, still slightly shaken from all the recent events "Oh me? Just doing what I do best! You know… being the fastest thing on wheels."

If Prowl can hear the rusted way he speaks he doesn't show it, he seems more interested in picking apart the smaller bots words. "Racing? I suppose this highway isn't used much, judging by the lack of cars and all the trees. In fact with all the trees around the last thing i'd expect is you being out here."

"Hah, is that your best insult?"

"It wasn't an insult, simply an observation."

"So you're observing me now?"

"Someone has to, is this where you've been disappearing off to?" The minibot chooses not to answer immediately, he simply huffs and drives past the prying motorcycle.

They begin rolling down the endless stretch of highway now, limp becoming more pronounced as they speed up. It could be over an hour before they're home and Bee can only deflect and lie so much. He sighs as he tries to beat his lack-of-sleep fried processor for more convincing fibs. It putters out smoke and he gives in, truth spills out with his tired voice. "Yeah, yeah. I come out here to get away. So what? Just because everyone treats me like a newspark doesn't mean I am one." Okay. Maybe too honest.

"No need to get defensive, we're simply worried about you. Decepticon activity has been erratic lately, and you still need to pull your weight."

"I DO pull my weight!"

"I wasn't finished. You can't just surprise everyone by disappearing for a few days, we need to stay vigilant." Prowl's smooth tone suddenly shifts into something more somber, a thick emotion lightly surfaces. "We couldn't find your signal til just now, with your comms down we assumed the worst." 

Bumblebee can't find a way to playfully brush off his comment, tanks churning as the ninja bot slows to drive side by side with him. There's no way Prowl doesn't notice the hitch-roll-hitch his flat tire is doing, but he isn't saying anything yet so the minibot won't be the one to bring it up. "Listen, I'm fine. Sorry I worried you guys, I just like to get away." 

And away they are. The trees have begun to peel away from their claustrophobic grip on the road, but the road is long and harsh. The city is still too far to be visible. The rubber along the minibot's flat tire begins to burn as it flutters and tears like loose meat. Yet still prowl makes no comment, instead he hums to himself like he knows he just has to wait. For his tire to give out completely or for him to say too much, he isn't sure. 

Bumblebee can't keep the anxiety at bay much longer, he knows he's in trouble, it's just how much he isn't sure. His frame flashing hot and cold when the first houses start appearing, dilapidated structures struggling against the foliage that hides the outskirts of the city. He isn't in a rush to get back to base, in fact he craves the opposite. His axel groans as his weight shifts to his good wheel, the other yielding less than half its normal amount of rubber. Each rotation has it making a grotesque flapping noise, his dented hubcaps creaking in anguish. He cringes at all the obvious injuries he's harboring when he notices the motorcycle is 20 feet ahead of him, voiced hushed as he talks alone.

Prowl was letting his team know he found him, great. Proper buildings take the looming presence of the trees, the light flashing off dark reflective glass making his plating itch. At least he gets to look forward to getting repaired, maybe he can sneak over to Sari before Ratchet see's him. The acidic scent of burnt rubber was beginning to make him nauseous.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ratchet had zero'ed in on him immediately. It was borderline surreal just how quickly he was found out, it put climactic scenes in horror movies to shame. The second their base was in view he had sped forward and thrown the giant garage door open, all subtilty abandoned just to get to Sari and her cure all key when his master plan collapsed before his very eyes. To give the minibot credit he didn't scream when ratchets face glowered at him, not even a foot away from the door. No, screaming was not on the agenda, turning the fuck around and bolting was written in bold sharpie across the whole list. 

Honestly though even he couldn't outrun magnetic powers on his best day, still he put up a fight. Thrashing in the air all the while spitting out insults and lies, none of which bothered the veteran medic in the slightest. You don't survive two wars just to have your paint peel at being called an 'outdated crankshaft with all your chromosomes crossed', all because the medic had 'scared the pit out of him and was now being excessive'. He had more important things to focus on, like playing a not so fun game of operation with the flailing bot and the door to his medbay. 

He got the yellow bot in on his first try, door slamming shut the second they were both in. Ratchet released his magnetic hold on the feral beast spazzing out in front of him and let him drop to the floor with a solid thud. Thick arms crossed over his red and white chest as he cast a stern gaze over his soon-to-be ward, said bot rubbing his helm as though the fall had knocked a semblance of sense into him. Said sense that was collected was immediately shattered with a bat slugging for homerun, the minibot realizing where they were.

He flew back on his aft and scrambled away, optics darting around as though the medic had mistakenly imprisoned a feral animal that just resembled the minibot. He expected the tarnished yellow bot to start clawing through the wall at this point, icy optics cataloguing every twitch and frantic movement. After some more labored vents and frantic assessments to his surroundings did he calm down, pressed against the farthest wall. 

"Are ya done, kid? Honestly you're acting like I'm about to throw you in the stockades." The medic's sharp tone earned a hard flinch from the smaller bot, one he wasn't expecting. Critical optics trying to piece together the frenzied state of mind the yellow bot was in when he seemed to snap out of it, shaking his helm and standing shakily.

"What the frag, Ratch! Did you seriously have to stand with your face up against the door! I could've had a spark attack!" Even screaming across the room, Bumblebee's voice was loud, the old bots audials were ringing as he grumbled and trudged forward. 

"Not on my watch you aren't! Now do me a favor and try not to thrash like a protoform possessed by Unicron, you're not getting out of a medical exam this time." He rolled his optics as the minibot froze up, waving his servos in an apologetic manner.

"Wait- okay hold up! Don't even worry I'm fine! Seriously doc bot, never been better!" Bee's voice was high and tight, very clearly lying through his teeth. It wouldn't have mattered if the kid was a grade A con artist, because Ratchet knew better. He drew closer and grabbed the first thing that needed his immediate attention, placing a firm servo on one of his skinny arms. The dented pauldron above it creaked truthfully, Ratchet sighed then trained his sights on the nervous face staring at him.

Ratchet knew combat injuries and accidental injuries, could tell the difference from a car crash and being mangled by another bot. The hand shaped dents adorning yellow hub caps is alarming, but his soft tone remains stern. "Who did this?" Watching the emotions flit across his faceplates like a stuttering tv only confirmed his suspicions, intake opening and closing with no sound spilling out. Bumblebee didn't trust his vox, he shook his helm firmly as his optics shot down. Couldn't even begin to explain how this happened, his life harboring a new complexity in it to explain in a single night. 

He tries to spin more lies in his burning processor but the sterile lights sear them away, the clean cold walls demanding the truth. Still he tries, but his shoulders burn with a shame now that they are on display, his mangled tire looking much worse than it has any right to be. Cuts litter his legs and he doesn't want assumptions to be washed afront with anything true he lets slip, it wasn't his mates fault he was only adept at handling the woods.

Besides his dents had been an accident, Blitzwing didn't mean to grab him so hard, it was simply an obstacle they had to overcome, they were so many size classes apart. His lap was still warped with the sharp edge of a helm dug into his upper thigh, he doesn't want to see the look in the old bots face when he puts two and two together. He's hopelessly stuck trying to figure out how to create something convincing enough to get those ice filled optics from pinning him against the wall, spark spinning as it screams at him to escape, escape, escape!

"BUMBLEBEE! Who. Did. This?" Ratchets tone reverberates with a sudden seriousness, optics flitting over his frame to no doubt catalog every scuff and dent. Both of the doc-bots servos squeeze his arms like he's about to shake him to see if he'll fall apart. Suddenly he wants to bark out a laugh, at the irony of a situation. Wants to spill how he too is familiar with worried optics and angry servos holding him, he never does though. 

No, instead he hangs his head, let's the truth devour him as he slips to the side and hops up on the medical berth. Red and white servos that promise healing pull away to hang down uselessly, the red crest on the old medic's face scrunches painfully. "Look kid, I can't help you if you don't work with me."

Something snaps at that, his sleep starved mind sinks its teeth into that one word that tries to define his existence. Circuity blazing with a clarity as they focus on their short term enemy, his vox restarts with a growl, optics flashing with a storm trapped in them. "I'm not a kid, I can handle myself!"

Ratchet stalls for a second, freezing in place as his optics blank out. Bumblebee feels his irritation quickly fade as he tries to figure out the thousand yard stare the old bot is trapped in. He doesn't get long to decipher it, can only lean back and scramble across the medical berth as something surges forth. 

Ratchet is suddenly possessed by something, his expression hardened in a way the mini bot had never seen before. His whole frame trembling with a memory forged from death and desolation, a survival code crafted from ashen asphalt settling after fallen bombs. Ice blue optics harden with a steel that had seen too much, had seen bright pink paint canvases across a dull and dying planet, had seen broken bodies having spouted foolish nonsense when they had the life in them to do so only minutes before. The medic slams his servos into the metal around the smaller bot and snarls like he'd just crawled out of a wasteland, cursed with red and white paint to leave him as a solitary witness. 

"You drop that heroic act right now, and you tell me what exactly was going through the glitched processor of yours when you decided to fight a deception! ALONE!" Bumblebee can't lean far back enough, frame trapped between two arms that vibrate with an energy he'd never seen before. Optics shut tight as his vents come too fast and loud in the claustrophobic room. "You run off like a fool, ignore our comms, and nearly get killed! And what did you get?! What did you win from that?!"

Bumblebee wants to scream, to kick and thrash so long as he gets away from whatever war hazed spell the medic is under. He's wrong, he didn't fight a deception, he saved one. His perceived attack isn't real, his damage isn't an infliction, it was earned from trust and growth. Ratchet wasn't there, he didn't feel the regret rolling off the big mech like shed skin. He had gotten away with getting the con to abandon his faction, a hard earned feat that would save him! The clarity of his actions catching up with him, they slam into his tiny frame with so much force he shouts at the top of his metaphorical lungs. "YOU'RE WRONG!" 

The old medic snaps back with his helm ringing, slowly returning from his hazy land of dead heros. The second he steps back to recollect himself the minibot is already shooting across the room, door slamming closed so hard Ratchet is grounded from his flashback. He stands silently in the room, servos twitching as he tries to quiet his vents, before turning to his unused tools solemnly. His once turbulent thoughts are littered across the floor with a stillness only borne from wisdom, they already knew the fate of those playing 'hero'. That still didn't quell the sudden rush of anxiety he was encumbered with, the old medic settling into a chair with a heavy thump. His helm dropping into his open palms with a heavy vent, clinical optics having already seen the handprints crushed into the smaller bot's pauldrons.

Oh poor Prime, he was going to have a field day with this one, because he didn't think he could save this one. It never mattered how skilled and patient he was, how much experience he had because the experience was always the same. It was hard to save someone when they were just a piece, because that's all that was left. Decepticons only left behind crumbling planets under a rain of ashes, bright pink stains that used to be a bot, with maybe a servo or pede. That was all. Even though he didn't want to admit it, Ratchet was never skilled in saving bots, war just didn't have room for those kinds of foolish hopes and thoughts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Muffled voices slip under the door accompanied with the heavy thud of footfalls, rousing the sleeping eight year old from some rather conflicting dreams. A fevered dream that had lasted an eternity was forgotten in an instant, banished in that dark vault that all dreams go when one awakens, her father's voice silenced behind the slam of that metaphorical door. Sari rubs the sleep from her eyes as her real door creaks open, two voices emerging with a clarity. Slamming her hands against her sheets as she tips her head back with a whine, she wastes no time in reminding team prime she's still just a child. "Guuuuuuuuysss, it's too early for thiiiiiiiiiiiis."

"Sorry, Sari. It's errm, an emergency?" Bee's meek voice is already expected, her arm already worming around under her pillow to find her key. Honestly the nerve of this dude, Prowls voice cuts in to voice his disapproval before the girl can.

"As I said before, Ratchet can take care of you. Not everything needs to be tended to by Sari's key."

"Yeah? Well Sari's key doesn't flip out and go drill sergeant on me!" 

"Didn't you attend boot camp for the elite guard?"

"Yeah! And I dropped out for a reason!"

"Guys! Stop fighting, what time is it?" The small girl shouts. After a frustrating minute of tearing up her covers does her small hand close around her key, her stomach growls. "Do we have anymore cereal?"

Her ragged yellow guardian drops down to one knee, a tired smile etched across his face. "Gimme a boost with your key and we can go check, and if we don't IHOP is 24/7.~" 

Prowl slams a servo against his face as he grumbles between his twitching digits, because honestly the nerve of this guy! "Bumblebee, it's a joor before the sun rises! That's 5:00 am in human time! You can't just sweet talk and run off every time you're in trouble!"

Apparently the minibot can, because Sari is already clambering up his arm to slot her key into her friend's chest. He breathes a sigh of relief as a wave of energy washes over his frame, soft light filling the room. Something warm and sweet floods his systems and mends everything together, cracked plating pulls together, dents pop out, and the shredded rubber of his tire knits back into something smooth and solid. All evidence of his chaotic night vanishes, his mind clearing. Even his over-clocked processor feels better, lack of recharge obsolete as clarity smooths over his helm. They were definitely going to Ihop now.

"I want pancakes! With the chocolate chips, ooohh, and whip cream!" Sari chirps excitedly, scrambling up next to Bee's helm to sit on a now pristine hubcap. The minibot chuckles and nods, turning to do just that when a problem quickly presents itself.

Prowl is standing in the doorway, fist clenched and welding a fierce scowl across his face. The minibot can practically hear the ninja gritting his denta with how his jaw is flexing. His EM Field is tucked tightly, and Bumblebee can't help but reign his own in close to his plating. Sari can't detect a bots field but she has her own special human powers, she can read a room.

She looks to her big yellow guardian with a lost look marring her face, before glancing at prowl. She tucks herself against the neck of her friend with her arms looped around the yellow collar, excited demeanour quickly falling into something more sullen. When she speaks her voice comes out meek, small in the way children sound. "Maybe we can talk about it on the drive there? I guess sense he was gone the whole day he missed the big meeting?"

Bumblebee's interest peaks, relaxed posture stiffening into something more alert. Keen optics take note of the way Prowl shifts from looking irritated to calm and collected, moving away from the door back into the hall in such a fluid motion. Bee moves to follow him, confusion quickly quelled as Prowl's voice purrs down the hall. "Sure, he should know why vigilance is key. You get your fill on pancakes and Bee gets his fill of info on Wasp."

"Wait, Wasp? Who's tha- wait.. short green bot? I know him, what about him?" While Bumblebee's processor is keen to hyper focus on his developing family, memories begin seeping through to the forefront of his mind. Memories of boot camp and the hardships of fighting to achieve graduation begin sludging through his mind, a quick headcount of his fellow cadets and one sticks out immediately. A fellow minibot, vile in nature with a fixation of Bee until the time he was arrested. That's right, he was sent to prison after the yellow bot ratted him out for being a traitor, oh the irony was truly palpable. 

"Do you now? That's not reassuring, Sentinel commed us this afternoon to inform us that.. well... Wasp escaped prison a few days ago, his energy signal was traced back to earth." 

"Wait, WHAT?!" The minibot stood in stunned silence, optics wide before realizing they were still inside. With a dead look from Prowl the trio quickly dart outside, the minibot's spark whirling because right now Primus was just being plain cruel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn I should start naming my chapters 🤔 hmmmm
> 
> Oh yeah also take a wasp plot line, family quest getting paused by a wasp side quest.


End file.
